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Spreading more than thanks Dr. Dale Bratzler and OU students describe their plans to safely travel and see loved ones during a pandemic-ridden Thanksgiving
JORDAN MILLER @jordanrmillerr
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN FOISY/THE DAILY
positive should not go home, or those that do go home should self-isolate in order to control the spread of the virus. “If you’re ill in any way, please don’t be around family members, because you can’t tell the difference between influenza and COVID19,” Bratzler said. “I think our Norman campus is even predicting a relatively mild, nice day on Thanksgiving. And if that’s the case, take your activities outdoors if possible, particularly if you have multiple generations together. Try to wear masks, I know it’s difficult when you’re with family, loved ones like grandparents, but you know, they’re the ones that are vulnerable to get sick if they get the disease.” Bratzler said his family does not have any big plans and are not traveling anywhere, but two of his children live in Tulsa and are highly attentive to COVID-19 precautions. His total group size is seven people at maximum, and if the weather is nice, they plan to go outside. “I have one granddaughter, who has been wearing a mask since she was three years old, and has just grown up with a mask,” Bratzler said. “So she just gets it. She does it all the time. So if anything, I actually will be babysitting my granddaughter one day. We’ll wear masks when we’re around.” Accounting senior Richard Papenfus has not been home to see his family in Cape Town, South Africa, since January — and his family thought since school was going online after Thanksgiving, they’d book the plane tickets as soon as the dates were released for the holidays, before any new
COVID-19 lockdowns were put in place. “I was going to go home in May and June, but because all the planes and stuff were still down and we didn’t know what was gonna happen come fall, we thought it would just be safer for me just to stay here, see what happens,” Papenfus said. Papenfus feels comfortable traveling home to his family, and said it’s pretty similar to OU in his hometown regarding COVID-19 precautions, like wearing a mask. His family has not contracted the virus, and they have only been going out if they need something to stay safe. He said he’ll also take a COVID-19 test 48 hours prior
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sick … but other than that I’m not nervous about going home from Norman.” Bratzler said if people are masked, he believes they can fly safely, due to enhanced filtration systems and frequent disinfection. “Please do not take your mask off on the plane. … Just assume that somebody on that plane is infected, probably several people, and they may not know. And the worst thing you can do would happen to be sitting halfway close to somebody infected without your mask,” Bratzler said. “Don’t accept the peanuts, don’t take your mask off, don’t drink ... but taking your mask off on an airplane, I think is quite risky. I think as
“I know a lot of people want to go out (and) do things, but boy, it’s just not safe right now.” -Dr. Dale Bratzler OU’s chief COVID officer
to his 30-hour international flight, which he said was a requirement flying overseas. “I feel pretty confident in Norman, just because much of the people we’re around — at least at our age — they wear a mask. … I do think there’s probably going to be a new rise in cases, just with all the football games coming up,” Papenfus said. “It also depends how many other people have had it before. … I won’t be surprised though if there was another lockdown, now with flu season around and a lot of people getting
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As the OU community heads home for Thanksgiving, concluding OU’s in-person classes, COVID-19 cases have been climbing across the state — including in Cleveland County. Over the past two weeks, OU has recorded 124 positive COVID-19 test results, and Cleveland County and Norman have recorded 1,669 and 896 positives respectively, according to the OU dashboard and the Oklahoma State Department of Health. “We’re seeing a dramatic increase in the number of cases, broad community transmission of the virus, across the entire state. It’s not limited to Norman and Cleveland County,” said Dr. Dale Bratzler, OU’s chief COVID officer. “If you look at the actual population incidence of the new cases, there are many rural counties that have more than double the rate of new cases that Cleveland County has, and that’s in part because there are a whole bunch of parts of rural Oklahoma that have never implemented any particular restrictions, mask mandates or anything else.” Bratzler said the increased numbers of cases in the Norman community can be attributed to a number of things, including the October ice storm, where many people had to move in with others due to power outages. This, along with Halloween and the presidential election, may have contributed to the spread due to more get-togethers like watch parties. Bratzler also cited a recent Stanford University study, which tracked cell phone records of 98 million Americans and linked their travel to points of interest like restaurants to try to predict where outbreaks were occurring. “What they found was a high correlation between COVID outbreaks, and going to such places (like) restaurants, bars, gyms, coffee shops and places of worship,” Bratzler said. “Those were at the top of the list of places that people went in areas where there was substantial community spread of the virus. I think a lot of people let their guard down. I know a lot of people want to go out (and) do things, but boy, it’s just not safe right now.” Regarding the Thanksgiving holiday, Bratzler said OU is strongly promoting COVID-19 testing before community members leave the area to visit family. He said students who test
long as you leave your mask on … from the moment you get to the airport … I think you can do so safely.” Driving can also be done safely, Bratzler said, but people should be wary about the stops they make and the status of their passengers — especially regarding children. “If you’re traveling with people, the behaviors of everybody have a potential impact,” Bratzler said. “If you’re traveling by car, we had some great protocols for the student athletes coming back to campus that included telling
them to avoid really busy places like bathrooms and gas stations and stuff. Stop at more uncommon places like bookstores. … Find places where the bathrooms don’t tend to be crowded. Think about takeout food … (because) restaurants were number one on the list of potential contact sources for infection in that very large study by Stanford.” Public relations junior Jared Bush, an OU RUF/ NEK, is flying to San Jose, California, for Thanksgiving, and was with his family in California until June, when he returned to Norman. He said when he saw OU was playing West Virginia, where he’d already been, the week of Thanksgiving, he decided to spend the holiday at home — his first Thanksgiving back since high school. “I’m not all too worried about COVID, I mean, so long as I keep wearing a mask, even social distancing, making sure I’m around the right kind of people who I know,” Bush said. “And, you know, just being safe all together. And so long as I do that, I think I’ll be okay.” Bush said to his knowledge he has not had COVID19, but a few of his fraternity brothers tested positive for the virus in August. He got tested at the beginning of this semester when a few of his friends tested positive, but he did not test positive. “My parents (have) been working from home, so I mean that’s good for them. … They’d all been doing the same things too; washing their hands constantly, wearing a mask whenever they go out,” Bush said. “They still try to hang out with their group of friends, and stay socially distant, (with) people they
know...” Both Bush and Papenfus feel the OU community’s COVID-19 situation will remain largely the same in the spring, although they would not be surprised to see an increase in cases with people returning from all over the country. Bratzler said it’s hard to know what the COVID-19 situation will look like in the state and within the OU community, but everyone who lives in congregate housing like the residence halls will have to be tested before they can move back in. “It’s really peaking right now in Oklahoma. I’m hoping people start to take it seriously, so we can start bending the curve again, and the other unknown is (a) vaccine. I think (a) vaccine could potentially be in Oklahoma, perhaps by December. It’ll be very limited in who it goes to though, so I’m not sure it will have much of an impact at the university,” Bratzler said. “I think there are plans to have a bit more flexibility around the classes in terms of being in person versus remote.” Bratzler said he knows many students will come back to campus following the Thanksgiving holidays even though classes will be conducted virtually, so the university will continue to promote testing when they return, since many rural counties across the state are experiencing spikes in their infection rates. The university did not consider going virtual for two weeks before Thanksgiving to limit possible exposures, Bratzler said, since they believe the classroom is “one of the safest places for (students) to be.” He said they are not seeing transmissions in classrooms, as students who are testing positive either get it from a roommate who was exposed off-campus or they themselves were exposed off-campus. The university has stated that due to classroom precautions, students in class would not be considered a close contact of any student who could potentially be positive by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition. “I think a lot of the students are safer here than they will be when they leave, travel and go home,” Bratzler said. “Because I suspect that a lot of people will let their guard down, take their mask off — you’re around people you know (and) you love. I get it. But you cannot tell by looking at any individual whether they’re infected or not. You just cannot.” Jordan Miller
jordan.r.miller-1@ou.edu
Professor evaluations adjust for COVID-19 Students displeased with lack of grading flexibility JANA HAYES @janarhayes
While students have not been offered a pass/no pass grading option for the fall semester, faculty members will not be given numerical ratings in their annual evaluations, according to an email from interim Provost
Jill Irvine. This change in evaluations was made to acknowledge the challenges faculty may have faced in achieving their teaching, research, creative and service goals during a global pandemic, Irvine said in the email. Instead of numerical ratings, faculty will be given written feedback, “motivating faculty to continue their ongoing efforts toward high standards,” according to the email. “Many occurrences in
2020, including the global pandemic, may have impacted faculty achievement,” Irvine said in the email. “These effects are likely to vary across individuals, with some faculty experiencing particular effects.” In a statement emailed to The Daily, the Provost’s office said pass/no pass will not be an option for students, but the deadline for withdrawing from a class for an automatic “W” has been extended by a week, from Nov. 13 to Nov. 20.
Also, any withdrawals this semester will not count toward a student’s limit of 5 “W’s” during their time at OU, according to the email. These changes are in addition to the university-wide attendance policy that allows for absence without documentation and the urging of faculty to be flexible in their assignments and grading, the email read. University spokesperson Kesha Keith said “communications related to this topic
are still forthcoming.” Allegra Shaffer, political science senior, said this change to withdrawals is not helpful for her, as withdrawing will still cost her money. Shaffer also said she has several classes that are behind on grading, so she doesn’t have an accurate depiction of what her grade is. “Why would I want to withdraw from the class? That doesn’t help me,” Shaffer said. These new policies
were put in place after OU’s Student Government A ss o c iat i o n a ske d t h e Provost’s office for a pass/no pass option for the fall. “The lack of grades could put students at a significant disadvantage when applying to graduate programs or other programs, internships, and jobs that may require grades for courses taken this fall,” Irvine said in a statement see FACULTY page 2
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NEWS
• Nov. 17-23, 2020
Total county cases top 10,000 NEW OU, NORMAN AND COUNTY CASES
Source: OU Data: OU Dashboard, Housing, Athletics and press releases. NORMAN AND COUNTY DATA: Oklahoma State Department of Health.
TOTAL CASES/POSITIVES IN OU, NORMAN AND CLEVELAND COUNTY Numbers are grand totals since OSDH and OU started reporting. Updated 11/17. AREA
Source: OU Data: OU Dashboard, Housing, Athletics and press releases. NORMAN AND COUNTY DATA: Oklahoma State Department of Health.
‘We can’t contain everybody right now’ Bratzler warns of potential closures, mask mandates JANA HAYES @janarhayes
With a new statewide high of 13.2 percent positive in COVID-19 tests, OU Chief COVID Officer Dr. Dale Bratzler said Oklahoma may soon need to reinstate mitigation strategies such as restricting business capacities and closing schools. During the OU Health weekly COVID-19 update Friday morning, Bratzler was joined by Dr. Cameron Mantor, OU Health acting chief medical officer, to discuss the rise in cases in Oklahoma. Both stressed that hospitals and medical personnel are doing everything they can, but the only way to stop the spread of COVID-19 is for Oklahoma communities to take CDC guidelines seriously. “We’re back to the point where we’re having to start thinking about mitigation strategies, which are these broad approaches to slowing the spread of the virus that include things like wearing a mask,” Bratzler said, “and potentially, as the White House Task Force has recommended, limiting some capacity in restaurants, bars and other things, so that we slow the spread of the disease. Because we can’t keep up with it. And
FACULTY: continued from page 1
sent to SGA. “It could be particularly damaging to students from historically underrepresented populations who face additional barriers to graduate program admission and career advancement.” Irvine said in the statement sent to SGA that part of her decision not to implement a pass/no pass policy was because there has been an increase in students with midterm grades of an A. Irvine added that very few
TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY
OU Chief COVID Officer Dr. Dale Bratzler in his office Oct. 12.
we can’t contain everybody right now.” During a Nov. 10 press conference with Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Mantor and several other state health officials echoed similar sentiments, noting hospitals and medical staff are very near to being overwhelmed statewide. There are currently 1,202 people in the hospital with a confirmed COVID-19 case in Oklahoma, Bratzler said, and
345 of those are in an intensive care unit bed. “Hospitals, doctors, nurses, we can’t stop the pandemic,” Mantor said. “It has to happen in the communities. … Medicines can help us treat patients when they’re ill, but unless … (communities) blunt the curve, we as hospital systems are going to become overwhelmed at some point.” Today there are 24,091 known active cases in the
state, with 15,607 new cases and 64 deaths reported this week, Bratzler said. There is indication of substantial community spread, especially in rural communities, he said. Data in Cleveland County, Norman and the OU Norman campus indicates cases are rising across the community. With numbers continuing to rise, Bratzler said not only are hospitals expected to be overwhelmed but contact
tracers and testing capacity are as well. “Some laboratories have been notifying us that they no longer have the capability to provide free testing because CARES Act funding is waning,” Bratzler said. With the entire state seeing 53 new cases a day per 100,000 population, Bratzler said he expects many counties to have to move from the Orange Level to the Red Level, resulting in
universities have adopted a pass/no pass policy for this semester, and with the spring semester not looking much different than this fall, “virtually every academic leader and faculty member” she spoke with was concerned about students potentially missing three semesters of grades. However, many other instructors and students disagree, a petition for pass/ no pass grading now having reached nearly 5,000 signatures. OU instructors like Laura Gibbs have advocated for a pass/no pass option this semester, and experts say it would be a helpful move for
students. August Stroud, history junior, has compiled a script for students to use to call the President and Provost’s offices to request a pass/no pass grading option. In addition to the pandemic, Stroud said the historic power outage last month and tumultuous presidential election have led to a semester of unprecedented stress for students, many of whom are struggling with their grades. “ Yes, I think (faculty) should get leniency,” Stroud said. “But I’m not computing how the university is like, ‘Yes, it’s been a weird year, (faculty) need a break,’ and they’re not
extending that same courtesy to the people who are actually paying to be on this campus.” Shaffer said the lenient attendance policy hasn’t been practiced in every class. Despite needing to quarantine multiple times this semester, too sick to leave her bed during one of those, Shaffer said she was still counted absent in multiple classes as well as being asked for documentation. One of those classes is online, but the professor doesn’t allow students to be on Zoom in an “unprofessional setting.” “I was just so sick, I could not get out of bed,” Shaffer said. “So I was like, there’s no
way I can go sit in class. And I got 10 out of 30 attendance points for the week … I sent him emails (explaining I was sick) and I just never heard back.” Shaffer said the administration’s reasons for not implementing pass/no pass don’t hold up in her opinion. “Why do I have to get graded (normally), but we don’t get to grade faculty on their work (as usual)? It just does not sit right with me,” Shaffer said. “There’s no lenient attendance policy. All my professors are grading on attendance, and it’s drastically affecting my grades.” Shaffer said she is less
many school districts moving to virtual learning. “I know the school districts and school boards are very challenged to figure out what’s best to do, balancing keeping people safe, reducing spread of the virus, with the benefits of being in the classroom for students,” Bratzler said. “I won’t be surprised if we see more school districts (move online).” At the Norman Regional hospital, adult patients are no longer allowed any visitors, Mantor said. This is the “last thing hospitals want to do,” and he said he hopes the OU Medicine Children’s Hospital will not need to make this move. However, restricting hospital visitors has become necessary as the virus continues to spread in the community. “If we continue to see the rise of positive patients and the need for hospital admissions that we’ve been seeing over the past number of weeks, we will be in a spot where we either can’t take care of a COVID patient, or we can’t take care of a patient with heart disease, or a level one trauma patient or someone with a newly diagnosed cancer,” Mantor said. “That could be you, it could be your grandmother, it could be your child. We as a population who live in this state have to be part of the solution.” Jana Hayes
jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu
worried about what having no letter grades would do than she is about what will happen to her GPA if she fails a class or even gets multiple C’s and D’s, a scenario that is seeming likely. “It’s not like I was being lazy just waiting for them to announce a pass/no pass policy,” Shaffer said. “I am working super hard to make sure that I can get good grades. And it just has not been easy with COVID, and obviously being locked up in your room for nine months on end (causes) mental health issues.” Jana Hayes
jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu
NEWS
Nov. 17-23, 2020 •
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‘Proactive, rather than reactive’ Norman leaders plan strategy amid rising caseload GABRIELA TUMANI @GabrielaTumani
Norman city officials receive d memb ers of the Norman Regional Health System and OU Chief COVID Officer Dr. Dale Bratzler in a Nov. 13 press conference to provide COVID-19 updates for the Norman community. Norman Mayor Breea Clark and Norman health experts reinforced the need for community awareness of COVID-19 security measures as cases continue to grow in the state, with the spread of the virus recently characterized as “unyielding” by the White House and state health experts warning hospital capacity and staffing will become an issue if the spread is not slowed. Clark said all Norman COVID-19 ordinances are extended until March 1. She said, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the mask mandate is particularly important as it protects “not only others but yourself.” “From wearing seat belts and exercising to taking our vitamins and going to the dentist, wearing a mask needs to be added to that list of easy things we can all do to protect ourselves,” Clark said. Clark said according to the latest state epidemiology report, from Aug. 1 to Nov. 1, the parts of the state without mask mandates experienced a 109 percent increase in infections compared to a 34 percent rise in cities with ordinances. Further city council meetings will see changes beginning Nov. 24, according to
Norman Mayor Breea Clark wears a mask while speaking to residents June 11.
services, police and fire — for their work alleviating stress and anxiety and restoring health and wellness in the Norman community. “Thank you for the courage and compassion you pour into your professions. Thank you for your selfless service to others. You often forfeit personal time with your own loved ones in order to care for the loved ones of others,” Splitt said. “You ease the fear and anxiety that comes from the lack of control of one’s personal crisis and failing health condition. And your sacrifices are often unseen. Today I want to take this opportunity to say to you, we see you and we thank you. Our hearts overflow with gratitude and pride for the work every day to keep us safe and healthy.” Splitt said NRHS has been
Clark, after state lawmakers opted not to extend a previous exception to the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act allowing public bodies to hold teleconferences, despite calls for an extension from leaders including Oklahoma House Minority Leader Emily Virgin (D-Norman). “Due to the state legislature’s refusal to call a special session to extend our ability to meet virtually every city, county and governing agency in the state, we’ll have to go back to in-person meetings, despite our numbers of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths continuing to rise,” Clark said. Richie Splitt, president and CEO of Norman Regional Health System, thanked all NRHS employee healers — staff, ambulance
trying “to be a leader rather than a follower” and “to be proactive, rather than reactive” since the beginning of the pandemic. Among the things NRHS has done was collaborating with City of Norman officials, the Emergency Operations Center and state and city health departments; the organization initiated COVID19 triage assessment locations outside its hospitals and clinics; launched a mobile drive through COVID19 test sites ; partnered with IMMY labs headquartered in Norman to develop “highly reliable and effective COVID-19 test kits including PCR virus kits and the antibody testing,” and enrolled more than 200 physicians and other providers into its virtual health platforms so patients can stay connected
TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY
to their physicians and not avoid healthcare. “Norman Regional Health System is a public trust, notfor-profit health system. We play an essential role in delivering safe quality and trusted health care not only in Norman, but across our state,” Splitt said. “We have done that for nearly 75 years. We have done that throughout this pandemic and we will continue doing that as we go forward.” N R H S C h i e f Nu r s i n g Officer Brittni McGill said NRHS has been collaborating with the hospitals in the Metroplex. “As things evolve and change (and) we learn more, the pace of that change continues to be very fast paced,” McGill said. “That is in an effort to be responsive to our patients, not to get into
a place of reactionary crisis. As community spread continues to increase, I’d like to emphasize the responsibility that we as citizens need to have. We need to be smart, we need to care about each other and we need to do that in an effort to help our community thrive.” McGill said what NRHS knows at this point in regard to the COVID-19 vaccine is that it is coming “very soon.” She said they are receiving daily updates in collaboration with the CDC and Oklahoma State Health Department. “(The daily updates) most likely will be a designated tier system protocol as to how that vaccine is administered,” McGill said. “Those calls are happening daily, and that plan is evolving. So we are prepared to do whatever we need to do based (on) the plan that will be given to us. This will most likely look like how we handle the flu vaccine within our health system.” NHRS Chief Medical Officer Aaron Boyd said he’s been seeing more young patients infected with COVID-19. “It seems that there’s still more unknown when it comes to who gets ill, and who doesn’t. We have seen teenagers, 50-year-olds and some 19-year-olds with COVID-related problems. (Patients) appear to be getting a little bit younger than they were in March. The average age of the people I see is now less than my own, which is an interesting phenomenon.” Boyd said he is concerned about the flu season’s compounding effect on the ongoing pandemic. “I’m always worried about the flu. A flu outbreak could see NORMAN page 4
University recognizes seniors Letter calls out for outstanding achievement administration Group critiques OU’s handling of Ann Coulter event SILAS BALES @Sibales1
IMAGE PROVIDED
OU President Joseph Harroz (left) standing with Outstanding Senior awardee Carson Ball (middle) and Sooner Parents President Patti Smith (right) at the November awards ceremony.
President Harroz, leaders honor 16 impressive Sooners LAUREN GREEN @lauren_greenn
OU announced 16 Outstanding Senior Award recipients for exceptional achievements in scholarship, honors, awards, leadership and service in a press release Nov. 12. President Joseph Harroz and representatives from OU colleges recognized the group at an award ceremony. A College of Arts and Sciences senior, Carson Ball from Collinsville, Oklahoma, was chosen as
the Overall Outstanding Senior out of the 16 students. The other 15 recipients include: • Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture: Chanae Car ter from Lake Forest, California • C o l l e g e o f A r t s a n d Sciences: Nishit Garg from Tulsa, Oklahoma • College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences : Julie Bahr from Brownsburg, Indiana • Michael F. Price College of Business : Logan Schoonover from Aurora, Colorado • College of Professional and Continuing Studies:
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Elizabeth Phillips from Norman, Oklahoma Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy: Bennett Hall from Fort Bend, Texas Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education: Miranda Koutahi from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Gallogly College of Engineering: Sarah Hobson from Norman, Oklahoma Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts : Justin Nor r is from Grand Prairie, Texas Honors College: Emma Ku t t l e r f ro m Ke c h i , Kansas David L. Boren College
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of International Studies: Tatenda Dzvimbo from Harare, Zimbabwe Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication: Lily Ta y l o r f r o m Tu l s a , Oklahoma College of Allied Health: Mackenzie Davis from Ada, Oklahoma College of Dentistry: Maryllely Chavez from Lexington, Oklahoma Fran and Earl Ziegler C o l l e g e o f Nu r s i n g : I s a b e l l a We i s f r o m Dallas, Texas Lauren Green
Lauren.M.Green-1@ou.edu
A group of OU community members recently called out the administration for hypocrisy in its statements about diversity and inclusion, and the university responded. The group’s statement reads, “While the university professes its support for diversity and inclusion, its actions contradict this.” The statement cited a recent campus event featuring Ann Coulter, who has been criticized for anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The statement also reads the university had the authority under existing OU policy to stop Coulter’s visit if they wished to. “The Facilities Use Policy f o r Re g i s t e re d St u d e nt Organizations states the use of campus facilities must be ‘otherwise consistent with the educational mission of the university,’” the statement reads. The statement’s authors wrote that according to OU’s mission statement, the administration is required to provide “the best possible educational experience for our students.” The university’s Campus Climate page also reads, “When bias, hate or harmful speech occurs, it can inhibit a person’s ability to thrive on campus,” according to the statement. The authors wrote that under the university’s terms for diversity and inclusion, the allowance of Coulter onto campus created an unfair and harmful environment for students, and the administration did not use the power it has to prevent this. “The administration must
transparently communicate, implement and enforce policy consistent with university values,” the authors said in the statement. They finish out the statement with a quote from OU President Joseph Harroz on the topic of inclusivity: “If we don’t get this right, nothing else matters.” OU Director of Media Relations Kesha Keith sent The Daily the following response to the statement: “The Nov. 5 event featuring Ann Coulter was organized by an OU Registered Student Organization (RSO) named Turning Point USA. Like each of the 550+ RSOs at OU, Turning Point USA is a student organization that exercised their constitutional right in inviting and hosting a guest speaker of their choosing. As with all student groups, the university does not, and cannot, interfere with their constitutional right to invite speakers to campus. In all such instances, a student group’s sponsorship of an event featuring an outside speaker does not constitute a university endorsement of the speaker’s views or comments,” an excerpt from the statement read. “The event was not the first of its kind on our campus, and it will not be the last. Universities are oftentimes a prime location where speakers and ideas considered controversial can be discussed and debated. While we work to protect the rights of those who wish to exercise their First Amendment rights, we will also continue advocating for those in our community most marginalized and hurt by protected forms of expression. Together, we can achieve a constructive, positive public discourse in a thoughtful, civil society.” Silas Bales
sialsbales@ou.edu
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NEWS/CULTURE
• Nov. 17-23, 2020
Mentor brings magic to drama
Lloyd Cracknell named Rothbaum Prof. of Excellence JILLIAN TAYLOR @jilliantaylor_
An OU professor of drama recently received an award of excellence for his teaching and involvement with the arts from the College of Fine Arts. Lloyd Cracknell, an associate professor of costume design, joined OU’s faculty 10 years ago to obtain his masters in fine arts. His current roles in the University Theatre include professor, costume designer for mainstage shows and mentor to fine arts students. OU faculty and students named Cracknell the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts’ 2020 Irene and Julian J. Rothbaum Presidential Professor of Excellence in the Arts. Cracknell said he began working in the fashion industry in England, his first job being with a company that designed the late Princess Diana’s wedding dress. His resume reflects his international experience, which ranges from designing knitwear for Versace to working for Regina Porter, a sportswear company based in New York. Fulfillment was something Cracknell said he had difficulty finding in fashion.
NORMAN: continued from page 3
really create a ‘twin-demic’ of COVID and the flu, so we’re absolutely concerned about it,� Boyd said. He said the community can help by getting a flu shot, wearing masks, washing hands, practicing physical distancing and “not medically distancing.� He explained some people stopped attending their doctor’s appointments, stopped getting their medicines refilled and stopped getting routine procedures and testing done.
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and try to do the physical distance which we’ve all heard so much about.� Bratzler said he is aware of the impact OU has in the City of Norman and Cleveland County COVID19 numbers. He said OU is very explicit in trying to reduce any negative impact from the university. “As you know, we’ve had strict mask policies. We’ve worked very closely with Mayor Clark and city council and others to make sure we’re aligning our activities as much as possible,� Bratzler said. “We’re going to do a lot of testing (on) students before they go home for Thanksgiving, but we’re also planning to do
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Braztler attended the press conference virtually to provide the community with updates. He said although there was a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in Norman, the rate of growth has not been “anywhere near� the rate of growth across the rest of the state. “I think it gets back to the point that Mayor Clark ma d e ( t hat ) w ea r i ng a mask works,� Bratzler said. “Not only does wearing a mask protect the people around you, it protects you too, and so it’s incredibly important, as we know that this particular infection is spreading in the community, that you wear a mask
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said he’s had the pleasure of instructing a variety of students from different schools. “We normally collaborate with the School of Musical T h e a t re, t h e S c h o o l o f Drama, the School of Dance and the School of Music,â€? Cracknell said. “We’ve also had people from the School of Architecture and even a Gaylord student. ‌ Classes
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He said it wasn’t until he came to OU that he found his true passion. “I just got really bored with fashion and was longing for something that incorporated my love of c o s t u m e a n d h i s t o r y ,â€? Cracknell said. “I heard about OU’s program from a friend of mine ‌ and ended up meeting (my predecessor) Michael Buchwald. He offered me a position on the MFA program ‌ and retired three years later. I applied for the job, got it and have been here ever since.â€? Although Cracknell has worked at OU for 10 years, he said he was surprised to receive the Rothbaum Award after seeing various mentors accept it in years past. He said having students and faculty nominate him is extremely rewarding and humbling. “To receive (nomination) letters (from students) is really heartwarming, because you begin to realize that, even the smallest things, they noticed,â€? Cracknell said. “You realize that, in some small way, you’ve given that person the next step on the ladder to where they want to go. ‌ It makes me proud to get it.â€? This semester, Cracknell said he is teaching costume design one and three, makeup, a design class called draping and drafting, and co-teaching costume construction and professional perspective. Cracknell
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.
are open to everyone, and that’s what our job is — we take someone that has a passion and guide them.� Cracknell said he is also in charge of working with students in the costume shop on lab productions, which are the smaller shows stag e d by the University Theatre. He said his job allows him to mentor a small team through
design meetings, costume research and guidance in the pre-production process. Collaboration is what makes a costume special, Cracknell said. “There are several costumes (that I created at OU) that stand out to me, but it is usually the collaboration and the people you work with that is the best part,â€? Cracknell said. “The magic isn’t a particular costume or set piece — it is everybody coming together with their ideas and making the best thing you possibly can together.â€? Encouraging students to move beyond their comfort zones is something Cracknell said is crucial to his way of teaching. He said he has repeatedly watched challenging circumstances elicit lightbulb moments in his students throughout his career. “(Sometimes) you see someone that comes to you a bit like a rough diamond, meaning they come with all of this passion and they are not quite sure where to put their energy,â€? Cracknell said. “It’s watching them blossom and giving them challenges ‌ that is going to make them think outside of the box.â€? C r a c k n e l l s a i d h e ’s reached a point in his life where he loves what he does and is increasingly excited to see his students succeed. “(When) I see the lights go up on opening night and
see their reaction to stuff that has come from their creativity — from the (costume) shop to the stage with real people — it’s like opening a Christmas present,â€? Cracknell said. “Seeing your work onstage in-person ‌ is magical.â€? School of Drama Director Seth Gordon said in a press release that the Rothbaum Award is a fitting tribute to what Cracknell has accomplished at OU. “Lloyd is beloved by students, faculty and staff alike,â€? Gordon said in the release. “His quiet leadership and mentorship is something I admire. ‌ I’m thrilled to have him as my colleague each day.â€? Ultimately, Cracknell said he loves his job because of the way his work allows him to be a storyteller. He said he hopes to continue training and mentoring future storytellers in years to come. “The whole reason for a costume is to allow the performer to perform to the best of their ability,â€? Cracknell said. “We’re seeing what the inner passion of a character is and how we allow them to embody that. ‌ We put (students) in a certain costume and they suddenly go, ‘Oh, this is what I’m supposed to look like.’ That is special.â€?
substantial testing (on) the students when they come back to try to reduce introducing COVID-19 that may have come in from some of (the) other parts of the state where rates of transmission are much, much higher.� He emphasized any person can be infected with the virus. “ You have to assume that anybody you encounter in the community, in your home, in places of worship, shopping or (anywhere) else could be infected,� Bratzler said. “Protect yourself, and also have the courtesy to protect those around you by doing what I’m calling ‘universal COVID precautions,’ which
all of you know — wear your mask, try to maintain physical distance and wash your hands frequently.� Boyd said they are concerned about the holidays and urged the community to practice social distancing and follow CDC guidelines during any celebrations. Clark said these are times of uncertainty and that the community can help by following health professionals’ guidance. “Times are tough. There are many unknowns, there is perhaps a small light at the end of the tunnel, but no timeline on when we know we’re going to get through this,� Clark said. “I
know the rising numbers and unknowns regarding a timeline for vaccines can cause great anxiety and fear, but we can all fight back by listening to our medical professionals and wearing a mask, getting a flu shot. “I want to emphasize that what we are experiencing right now is not the new normal. This is not normal in any way, shape, or form, but we will get through this. While I cannot tell you when these tough times will pass, I can guarantee you that they won’t last forever.�
VIA PRESS RELEASE
OU Associate Professor Lloyd Cracknell was named the OU 2020 Rothbaum Professor of Excellence, per a Nov. 6 press release.
HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2020, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2020 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Go about your business and put your plans in place. Have faith in yourself and what you do. Planning, hard work and perseverance will be your ticket to a better future. Poor health decisions will be your downfall. Think positively at all times. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Abide by the rules and avoid trouble. Use common sense in risky situations. Make adjustments where needed. Moderation will be your saving grace. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Make home improvements, help others and keep an eye out for opportunity. An intimate relationship will require open, honest discussion. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Take your time, verify facts, talk to experts and focus on practicality. Keep your life simple, moderate and peaceful. Offer others the same freedom you want for yourself. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Don’t let a change of plans disrupt your world. Happiness is the perquisite of doing what you enjoy to the best of your ability. Don’t look back. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- You’re on a roll. You can accomplish whatever you set out to do as long as you give your all and do your research. Preparation and fortitude go hand in hand. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Digest what’s happening. Choose reason, to avoid jeopardizing your position, health or a meaningful relationship. Excess will lead to
uncertainty. Slow down and savor what you have. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- A change of heart will lead to a new direction. Don’t waste time; put your plans in motion. Be receptive to suggestions from friends and family. Seize a chance to improve your position. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Keep moving. If you dawdle or let someone interfere with your plans, you will miss out on a chance to do something that will lead to self-improvement. Learn from your mistakes. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Don’t disregard an offer or chance to bring about change. You may not relish learning or trying something new, but stick with it. Listen to good advice and proceed with confidence. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -Concentrate on fitness, health and getting along with others. Give people the freedom to do as they please. Romance is on the rise. Choose love over discord. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Problems will arise if someone uses emotional manipulation to get their way. Be open and honest regarding your plans, and if someone doesn’t want to join in, don’t apply pressure. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -Don’t take sides. The people who love you will stand behind you no matter what. Take time to enforce better health decisions. Implement a fitness routine. Don’ forget to take it easy.
Jillian Taylor
jillian.g.taylor-2@ou.edu
Gabriela Tumani
gabrielatumani@ou.edu
Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg November 17, 2020
ACROSS 1 Throw in the microwave 4 Most Saharan 10 Guy with a roving eye 13 “Bravo!� in Bogota 14 Once in a blue moon 15 Farmland unit 17 Rowboat propeller 18 Arctic jacket 19 Lose your footing 20 Wishywashy RSVP 23 Like the Leaning Tower of Pisa 25 Observe 26 “Fancy that!� 27 Fuel for a classic car, maybe 29 Holy objects of knightly quests 30 Six of one, half dozen of the other 34 Mislead 35 Urban train with a view 44 Pretty as a postcard 45 7UP alternative
11/17
46 “___ when that happens!� 47 Sunscreen letters 50 He goes down chimneys 51 Video of a concert, for instance 54 Yemeni port 55 Completely lose power 56 Nationals pitcher Scherzer 59 Irritated mood 60 Wear black, perhaps 61 Grow older 62 Had a snack 63 Traps 64 Indicate agreement DOWN 1 San Diego attraction 2 ___ mode 3 Daily bread? 4 Selected for military service 5 Raja’s wife 6 Removes wrinkles 7 Spinechilling 8 Oldfashioned chalkboard material 9 Tiny tot 10 Language spoken in Andorra 11 Paint type
12 Avoid traveling? 16 Fencing weapons 21 “What ___ is new?� 22 Bog down 23 Expensive Super Bowl spots 24 Madre’s sister 28 Shrub that may be light purple 29 “Eww!� 31 In good shape 32 Service charge 33 LAX posting 35 Spiny anteater 36 “Drop that bone!� 37 Cordial understanding between nations
38 Zwei + zwei 39 Positive aspects 40 Muffin variety 41 Certain sidekick at a bar 42 Part of D.A.: Abbr. 43 Pro vote 44 George Eliot’s “___ Marner� 47 Open contempt 48 Lecterns 49 Less inhibited 52 Some are scrambled 53 Stand-up comedian Chappelle 57 Earlier 58 Crossed (out)
PREVIOUS ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
11/16 Š 2020 Andrews McMeel Universal 11/10 Š 2020www.upuzzles.com Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com
Internal Contradictions by Lee Taylor
CULTURE/SPORTS
Nov. 17-23, 2020 •
Slice of Hideaway cheer Local artist designs ‘Elf’-themed pizza box, merchandise @gabby_brown5
Local artist and Norman Arts Council Associate Director Joshua Boydston’s artwork will be featured on Hideaway Pizza’s holiday-themed pizza boxes this year. Hideaway Pizza reaches out to artists in the areas they serve to find a design for each holiday season box, said Jenny Grigsby, Hideaway Pizza’s marketing coordinator. The holiday box has looked different each year, as each artist has brought something different to the table. Hav i n g f e a t u r e d t h e work of a cartoonist, a tattooist and a muralist in previous years, Boydston’s differing digital design aesthetic caught the attention of the company for this season, Grigsby said. Grigsby said Boydston’s design is based on the popular Christmas movie “Elf.� On the box, an elflike character is featured holding a pizza b ox in the air, along with several other caricatured animals from the movie, including a narwhal, which has a slice of pizza drawn comically through its tusk. The design also features the slogan “Happy
Fine arts grant to support schools Council prioritizes underserved, rural communities
GABBY BROWN
JACINDA HEMEON @jacindarae4
VIA JOSHUA BOYDSTON’S TWITTER
Norman artist Joshua Boydston designed artwork for Hideaway Pizza’s holiday pizza boxes.
Hi d e aw ay s,� a p l ay o n words that has been featured on previous boxes since the beginning of this tradition in 2017, Grigsby said. “We’ve been watching Joshua’s work for a while.
He’s really creative and fun and we reached out to him earlier this year and got some design concepts going, and surely they all paid off,� Grigsby said. B o y d s t o n ’s a r t i s also printed on other
merchandise, including to-go cups and t-shirts, which will be sold in the restaurants throughout the holiday season. Gabby Brown
gabrielle.e.brown-1@ou.edu
5
The Oklahoma Arts Council announced it will award over $35,000 dollars to schools across the state to fund classroom art supplies. The Classroom Supply Grants for Visual and Performing Arts will fund 71 PK-12 Oklahoma schools and 14,208 students. The grants will assist schools across 26 state counties, including schools in the Moore, OKC and Mid-Del City school districts. Each school will receive up to $500 for the school year to purchase fine art supplies, according to a press release. According to the release, fine arts education has been shown to foster a positive learning environment and improve students’ standardized test scores in subjects like math and reading. In order to be eligible to receive a grant, schools must have at least one part-time art instructor on staff. Grants can be used to purchase supplies for media arts, theater and dance, according to the release. Oklahoma Arts Council Director of Marketing and Communications Joel Gavin said the arts council surveyed schools across the state about
their art education needs. Gavin said the grants launched in spring of 2020 to help fund and sustain arts education. “When it comes to being able to sustain art education programs ‌ . the very top of the list was (help with) order(ing) supplies,â€? Gavin said. “So we created this grant to respond to that need ... and it was very successful.â€? Oklahoma Arts Council Grants Director Thomas Tran said when selecting schools to receive the grants, the arts council prioritizes underserved communities. Tran said 48% of this rounds’ grants were distributed to rural schools. “I’m a very proud product of public education ‌ and I was lucky to grow up in a district that had the resources,â€? Tran said. “But, it’s great to see all of these different schools from different areas of the state (that) we were able to support this year.â€? Applications for the Spring 2021 grants will open in January of 2021, and schools that did not receive a grant in the fall are encouraged to reapply, according to the release. “This is the first step for a lot of schools (for art funding),â€? Tran said. “They start forming relationships with our staff, and then they start coming in for our other grant programs as well.â€? Jacinda Hemeon
jacinda.r.hemeon@ou.edu
Jeremiah Hall leads on field, in classroom H-back crushes jock stereotype, sets high bars CHANDLER ENGELBRECHT @ctengelbrecht
Jeremiah Hall could do nothing but watch as four Texas defenders corralled Oklahoma quar terback Spencer Rattler for a 3-yard loss late in the fourth quarter of the Sooners’ eventual 53-45 Red River Showdown win. As Rattler crumpled, a welltimed strip from a Longhorn defensive back forced the ball out of his hands toward a cluster of crimson and burnt orange jerseys. Hall quickly found himself fighting at the bottom of the scrum. Officials called the play dead and players slowly scattered as the redshirt junior emerged with the ball in hand. Had he not, Texas’ highly-touted offense would’ve received the ball with only 40 yards separating it from a game-tying score. OU likely would have been doomed, and on track to lose its third consecutive game of the season, fumbling away any hope at a sixth-straight Big 12 title. But in part because of Hall’s heroic save, the Sooners held off Texas’ late rally to win in quadruple overtime. The victory sparked Oklahoma to win its next three games, each in a convincing fashion. Though the recovery is overshadowed by what became the highest-scoring game ever between the two rivals, playing outside the limelight is nothing new to the Charlotte, North Carolina, native. “(I wanted) to go out there and make a play, I didn’t care what it took,� Hall said. “As an H-back, you have to be unselfish and you have to be willing to put the team first at all times. The team needed me to dive on the football or else the drive would have been over.� Hall isn’t the flashiest player on his team. He’s not the strongest or fastest, either. What Hall does bring is a football IQ that, according to those close to him, goes toe-to-toe with any player in the country. Hall’s impressive knowledge of the game allows him to make the right play at the right time.
Redshirt junior H-back Jeremiah Hall gets ready before the game against Kansas on Nov. 7.
“His football awareness is just outstanding,� said Aaron Brand, Hall’s former head coach at Zebulon B. Vance High School in Charlotte. “That’s what makes him (special). He’s an intelligent young man. He is one of those guys that also thinks it’s cool to be smart. A lot of people nowadays and in (my) day thought it was not cool to be sharp, not cool to be smart. Jeremiah Hall is one of those guys that makes being smart cool again.� Hall’s intelligence isn’t limited to the field, as his efforts inside the classroom are impressive in their own right. In July, he announced his acceptance into the University of Oklahoma’s MBA program, which ranks as a top 35 program in the country among public universities. “To me, it’s just another goal I want to accomplish,� Hall said in September. “(But) when I tell other people, they’re like ‘Whoa, that’s big.’ I’m hoping that the benefits will show later on in life but right now I’m just grinding and playing football.� Balancing a demanding athletic and academic schedule is something Hall has always taken pride in. “I just think he always knew there was greatness in him from day one,� said JaStacia Jones, Hall’s academic counselor at Vance. “He just always knew what he wanted to do and needed to do to
accomplish those things. He took classes at a local community college during his senior year and was able to balance such a rigorous caseload. ‌ He’s always been so self-aware of what he wanted in his life that he didn’t let anyone (deter him) from it.â€? As was exemplified by his Red River fumble recovery, Hall’s mental toughness and leadership could become a guiding light for his team’s younger talents as the Sooners still remain in the hunt for the Big 12 Championship. ‘THE CONNECTION WE HAD AWAY FROM FOOTBALL’ Months before Hall’s senior season at Vance began in 2016, his head coach faced a big decision. Brand’s success at Vance, after he led the Cougars to a couple state semifinal appearances, had other high schools gauging his interest. The schools reaching out were larger, which made their calls hard to decline. Torn between leaving for a higher paying job or staying for one more championship run with the school he called home, Brand mulled over his decision while sitting in his office for lunch. Hearing that his coach might be leaving, a vocal Hall led a few of the team’s seniors through Brand’s doorway. “We went into his office like,
‘Yo, what’s up?’� Hall said. “We just needed him to be honest with us. I wasn’t mad at him, I just wanted to know what the future held.� The heart-to-heart that followed has stuck with Brand since. “There’s a lot of times where coaches sit the players down,� Brand said, “but I think this was a moment where the player had to sit the coach down and try to figure out what’s right. ... (I’ve) never had a conversation like the one we had. He was mature about me having to do what was best for my family, (but it felt like) I had another family that also needed me. “A lot of guys had something to say, but none of it resonated like what (Hall) brought to the table. Just about family, faith and making sure that all decisions we make are ones that we can live with. I don’t know if I could’ve lived with leaving (Hall) and those guys his senior year.�
TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY
“But I knew that he was looking for my best interest because of the connection we had away from football. Him staying meant the world to me because it showed that he cared.� After seeing his high school team reap the benefits of sharing personal connections, Hall knew he’d have to build similar ones when he arrived at OU. Almost four years into his time with the Sooners, Hall’s position group is said to be one of the closest-knit on the team. “We don’t really look at each other as competition, we just see it as like iron sharpens iron,� junior H-back Brayden Willis said. “We’re all confident in each other, we all love each other up and we look at it as a team thing. And when one (of us) makes a play, we’re happy for them.�
‘YOU KNEW THAT HE Brand described his re- WAS GOING TO DO lationship with Hall as one GREAT THINGS’ among best friends. Though No matter where Hall goes, their bond grew more that he hasn’t forgotten his roots. day, the seeds were planted when Brand became Hall’s And he enjoys going back to them. head coach in 2013. “When he does have the “(Coach Brand) taught him everything he knew, on the opportunity, he comes back,â€? field and off the field,â€? Zebulon Jones said. “It’s like a celebriB. Vance High School athletic ty is coming home. Teachers director Carlos Richardson want him to talk with their said. “They’d sit in his office students. Everybody’s like, and just talk about life. (Hall) ‘Jeremiah’s here!’... It’s a treat to would get advice from him have him come back. “He talks to the students about different situations that may come up in future en- about academic rigor, about deavors. They just got really, getting an education and about how things can change really close.â€? Hall’s bond with Brand your life. I have not had one is unlike any other he’s had bad encounter with Jeremiah. with a coach in his lifetime. ‌ You knew that he was going Whether Hall needed person- to do great things.â€? When Jones met Hall, she al advice or on-field instruction, he knew he could always was struck by the maturity he possessed as a high school rely on his head coach. Brand’s guidance helped freshman. She described Hall as a natHall become the player — and ural-born leader and nowhere man — he is today. “He would coach me hardsee HALL page 6 er than anyone else,â€? Hall said.
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SPORTS
• Nov, 17-23 2020
A look back at Bedlam bests
TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY
Then-redshirt sopohmore running back Kennedy Brooks runs the ball during the Bedlam game in Stillwater on Nov. 30, 2019.
CHRISTOPHER MICHIE/THE DAILY
Then-freshman running back Joe Mixon runs the ball during the Nov. 28, 2015 game against Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
CHRISTOPHER MICHIE/THE DAILY
Then-junior quarterback Baker Mayfield hands the ball off to then-sophomore running back Samaje Perine during the 2015 Bedlam game in Stillwater.
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Then-redshirt senior wide receiver Nick Basquine during the Bedlam game against Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Nov. 30, 2019.
TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY
Jalen Hurts hands the ball off to Rhamondre Stevenson while Jadon Haselwood runs past during the Bedlam game in Stillwater on Nov. 30, 2019.
CHRISTOPHER MICHIE/THE DAILY
Then-senior wide receiver Sterling Shepard runs the ball during the Nov. 28, 2015 game against Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
HALL: continued from page 5
near the “average jock” stereotype that plagues some student-athletes. In fact, Jones believes the reason Hall is able to guide others is because of his high intellect. Academically, throughout his time at Vance, Hall found himself averaging a top-three position in his class. His performance in the classroom “set a totally different bar” for Vance athletes, Jones said. On top of that, Hall’s respectfulness and genuine care for other people set that bar even higher.
“In no exaggeration, we never had to get on him for anything,” Richardson said. “Late to class, not coming to school, not turning in assignments, (being) disrespectful, nothing. He was the perfect student. Jeremiah was my go-to guy whenever we needed a face of the program.” Because he believes life is bigger than football, being a good person off the field was one of Brand’s main coaching points. “Anybody can win a game on Saturday night … (but) Monday through Friday is what counts,” Brand said. “ If you have the whole team going in one direction Monday through Friday,
the ball can bounce any way on Saturday. I’m sure (head coach Lincoln Riley) is getting the best out of those guys. … I know (success at the college level) is measured by wins and losses, but he’s getting a lot out of those kids (off the field) and I can really appreciate it while watching it from afar.” ‘LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES AND KEEP PUSHING’ Hall knows how important winning is for the Sooners. The Sooners’ uncharacteristic 2-2 start to 2020 was something that hadn’t happened since 2016. OU’s two
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Then-junior wide receiver CeeDee Lamb dodges Oklahoma State players in the Nov. 30, 2019 game against Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
losses came in back-to-back games, which hadn’t happened since 1999. Their record might have been embarrassing by Oklahoma’s standards, but it’s something Hall didn’t run away from. “At the end of the day, (losing) still hurts,” Hall said after Oklahoma’s 38-35 loss to Kansas State. “Whether you did your job or whether you didn’t do your job, you always think to yourself, ‘Man, maybe I could have done a little bit more.’ … But, at the end of the day, we didn’t do our job (and) we didn’t get the job done. You’ve got to take it to the chin. “(We have to) learn from ou r m i st a ke s a n d ke e p
pushing because we have a fan base relying on us. We have teammates relying on us, we have coaches relying on us. (We) have to keep going.” Hall’s desire to lead others is a result of his parents’ teachings, Richardson believes. While Hall was growing up, Richardson says Hall’s parents were adamant about “not interfering” in his development as a person and athlete. Hall’s leadership is needed more than ever this season for the Sooners, as the team lost three of its leading voices from 2019 in Jalen Hurts, Kenneth Murray and CeeDee Lamb. Hall is relying on himself and
the team’s veterans to instill the Sooners’ high standards in younger teammates. “It’s different when you have eyes on you every single day. You have to be willing to bear that weight,” Hall said. “Not only do you have to win at this university, but you have to help develop the guys around you. You have to bring the Spencer Rattlers along, you have to bring the Seth McGowans along, you have to bring the Marvin Mims along. “(When it works) and you see them have success, knowing that you played a part in that is priceless.” Chandler Engelbrecht
chandler.engelbrecht@ou.edu