December 3-5, 2018

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OU DAILY

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

SANTA STRUCK BY CAR • 3

MURRAY GETS REVENGE • 5

KYLER MURRAY POSTER• 6

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

OU coach Lincoln Riley holds up the Big 12 Championship trophy after the Sooners beat Texas Dec. 1. OU will play Alabama in the Orange Bowl Dec. 29 in the College Football Semifinal game.

WE GOT BAMA

Sooners make College Football Playoff for third time in four years after avenging loss against Texas

A

R L I N G T O N , Te x a s — Lincoln Riley stood with ESPN’s Holly Rowe after his team had just won a fourthstraight Big 12 title, topping No. 14 Texas 39-27. He fought back tears as Rowe asked him what he was most proud of.

“It’s been a hard year,” Riley said as he choked up on national television. “Four in a row, that’s something that’s never been done at Oklahoma, something that’s never been done in this league. I’m so proud of our guys ... We’re the champs.”

Rewind 54 days.

Riley stood in the Everest Center in Norman, the media s u r rou n d i ng h i m a s h e a d d re s s e d h i s d e c i s i o n t o l e t Mike Stoops go as defensive coordinator.

“My mindset was, ‘I think we’ve got a really darn good football team right now that’s got a chance to make a really good run, and I’ve got to, with my decisions, try to best align us to get that done,’” Riley said Oct. 8. “I felt this was the way to do it.”

Riley’s unflinching belief in his team this season is what has them just one win away from redemption playoff and two wins away from winning a national

GEORGE STOIA • @GEORGESTOIA championship. It’s what has them in the program’s third College Football Playoff appearance in four years and a chance at No. 1 Alabama in the Orange Bowl. Despite the defensive struggles all season, losing arguably his best running back in the second game and having three of their last four games be decided by less than five points, Riley remained confident. “Just win,” he would say after each close game as media and Sooner Nation looked even more skeptically at the second-year head coach.

But that’s what he and the Sooners continued to do. They just kept finding ways to win.

Somehow, they always got the job done.

“It took a lot from these guys here and the players and the coaches in that room,” Riley said. “When the rest of the world didn’t believe in them, they believed in themselves, and that’s why we’re sitting here with this trophy right down here.”

Riley’s confidence — a youthful swagger evident in everything from his recruiting style to his playcalling panache — has rubbed off on his team.

His quarterback is headed to New York next Saturday to

possibly bring home the prog ra m’s s e c o n d c o n s e c u t i v e Heisman Trophy after leading Oklahoma’s offense to a No. 1 ranking in the country. His defense — a defense that has been nationally ridiculed all season — has come up with big play after big play in the last two weeks.

And his coaches are finding their groove at just the right time on all three sides of the ball.

“Four in a row, that’s something that’s never been done at Oklahoma, something that’s never been done in this league. I’m so proud of our guys ... We’re the champs.”

LINCOLN RILEY, HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

“It’s something we talked about last night at our meeting behind closed doors,” redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray

said, who totaled for 413 yards and three touchdowns. “We felt like we played together on all sides of the ball. That’s a good team up there in West Virginia, but I feel like we found ourselves. Defense came up big last week and this week. When we weren’t scoring, they got stops and that’s how football is supposed to be played.”

Riley’s team showed exactly why it’s considered one of the best teams in the country Saturday. Trailing 14-6 in the second quarter, the Sooners came roaring back to take a 20-14 lead into the locker room.

After letting Texas tie the game at 27 in the third quarter, they outscored the Longhorns 12-0 to seal the game.

For the first time maybe all season, Oklahoma played complimentary football and showed a resiliency to win the game.

“We’re playing our asses off,” senior offensive lineman Dru Samia said. “This is probably the hardest working group I’ve been around. This is the most perseverance we’ve been through.

We’ve been through so much this season. But our team never gave up.”

But there seems to be

something different about this year’s team. No matter the obstacles in their way, they always find a way around them.

“We’ve had really good fight throughout my time here,” senior wide receiver Nick Basquine said. “But this one, I think, had to come through a lot more adversity than the other teams, like the coaching change and criticism our team gets week-in and week-out, but we still came out on top.”

With the committee picking the Sooners, Riley will have what he’s been waiting 11 months for — redemption. This time, he gets the best team in the country, Alabama.

“Goal No. 1 for us was winning the Big 12 Championship for the fourth straight time, and we did that,” Riley said. “No matter what they tell us tomorrow, there’s another banner going up in our indoor, there’s another ring going on these guys’ fingers and another championship going home to Norman, Oklahoma. And you can’t take that away from us.

“But we have a playoff-worthy team.”

George Stoia

georgestoia@ou.edu

Sylvia Lewis made history, change at OU OU Board of Regents’ first black member advocated for diversity ANNA BAUMAN @annabauman2

When Sylvia Lewis was appointed to the OU Board of Regents in 1986, she made history as the first African-American to serve on the governing body of the state’s flagship university.

One of the first things she did after her appointment was call George Henderson.

“Sylvia called me, she says, ‘George, I’m a regent, and you’re m y p ro f e s s o r,’” H e n d e r s o n

recalls.

The quick and decisive phone call was representative of not only Lewis’ strength and authority as an individual but also of the close and committed relationship that she would work to develop with members of the black community across campus, opening a door to decision-making not only for herself but for all those whose voices she listened to.

Henderson, himself a civil r ights leader, OU profess or emer itus and trailblazer as Norman’s first black homeowner, said Lewis’ presence alone in Board of Regents meetings reshaped the university.

“ It m e a n t t h a t n o l o n g e r could whatever happened behind those doors when the regents were meeting remain a secret from us black people,” Henderson said. “Sylvia would let us know.”

A SEAT AT THE TABLE Before Lewis joined the board, it was a group largely composed of white men who had been active in state politics.

Shifting that trend was part of the reason then-Gov. George Nigh named Lewis to the position in April 1986, less than 40 years after the first black student gained admission to the university as a result of the Ada Lois

Sipuel Fisher vs. OU Board of Regents case.

“A happy day has arrived,” Lewis, then 65, said at the time of her appointment.

Lewis previously ser ved as dean of student affairs at Langston University, the state’s then-all black college, and directed the same university’s Oklahoma City branch.

After the Ponca City native graduated from Langston University in 1942, segregation policies barred her from attending the University of Oklahoma.

She instead attended the University of Nebraska for graduate studies, but later returned to the Norman campus in 1952

to finish her master’s degree.

L ew is’ tenure as a re g ent spanned six years until she retired in 1992 due to poor health and family constraints. At the time of her resignation, the board issued a statement citing its deep regret at her departure.

“She has served with great distinction for the past six years and her abiding concern for the best interests of the university will be long remembered,” the statement read.

Her tenure was marked by the role she had in selecting Richard Van Horn as the new president after the university’s 11th See LEWIS page 2

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• December 3-5, 2018

NEWS LEWIS: Continued from page 1

president, Frank Horton, stepped down in 1989.

More than that, however, she is remembered for the role she had in encouraging conversations surrounding diversity, voicing the opinions of those who had been shut out of the conversation for so long and engaging with students about issues important to them.

Norris Williams, former coordinator of black student affairs, started working at OU in 1977. He first got to know Lewis, whom he describes as outgoing and friendly, while she was working in student affairs at Langston.

Her passion for and commitment to students never wavered, continuing even long after she had stepped into the higher role that is typically distanced from the everyday affairs of students.

Before each board meeting, Lewis would swing by Williams’ office to ask how things were going. She gave Williams her home phone number and told him to call any time — an option he took her up on whenever he wanted to get her opinion on issues he dealt with in his job.

Henderson, too, recalls Lewis as someone who was easily available. She regularly met him for lunch, making sure to meet in conspicuous places so that others could see Henderson was connected with a regent, he said.

Lewis supported and advocated for issues that pertained to the black community in a way that had never been done before, or as much since, her time on the decision-making

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

board. Williams called her the minority community’s “sounding board.”

“I was spoiled by her,” Williams said. “Because after that, I barely saw any regents anymore.”

Williams, whose interests lay in student affairs, found an ally, listener and supporter in Lewis, who shared the same devotion to students. She would hold speaking events for her sorority sisters, talk with undergraduate students and get involved on campus.

“Her main interest was the welfare of students at the university,” Williams said. “And most regents, usually students are not the first thing on their mind — it may be brick and mortar or maybe the prestige of being a regent. But her main and major concern was students and dealing with the problems that students face, whether it was housing, financial, social, cultural — she felt a part of that, she wanted to be a part of that.”

Lewis died in March 1995 at 73. The university’s president at the time, David Boren, issued a statement saying the school was saddened by her death.

“As a regent, she constantly put students first and kept the university wisely focused on its principal mission, the education and mentoring of our students,” Boren said. “I will personally miss her wise counsel, support and encouragement.”

Even after she no longer sat on the board, Lewis paved the way for the next black regents, including Sipuel Fisher, who was appointed in 1992, and Melvin Hall, who was also appointed in 1992 and became the first black chairman of the board in 1998.

But regents of minority communities are few and

far between. Today’s board is comprised of all-white members.

“I’m very proud of where we are,” Hall said in a 1998 Oklahoman article. “But I think we need more work, and I don’t think I’m alone in that sentiment.”

H O N O R I N G A TRAILBLAZER Each spring, nearly 150 black high school seniors gather on OU’s campus for a weekend meant to prepare them to thrive in the university setting.

The George McLaurin and Sylvia A. Lewis Conference is named after two trailblazers — OU’s first black student and first black regent — to inspire students to s ee where the y have come from and why they are able to be where they are.

“We talk about them as pioneers and trailblazers at the University of Oklahoma and talk about them as people to model yourselves after,” said Trey Moore, who coordinates the conference.

“I’m sure it wasn’t easy for them being trailblazers at the university at that time, and they are two examples that our students can look up to.”

Williams said he doesn’t know exactly what Lewis’ experience was serving on the board, but from an outside perspective, he said he does not know if the other regents gave her the respect that she deserved.

“Thinking about the times, and a female, an African-American female on the board, and knowing how macho white males can be — particularly at that time, things are better now — but at that time, I don’t know how supportive they were of Ms. Lewis,” Williams said.

Lewis was someone who took advice from others,

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but ultimately made up her mind, lobbied for what she believed to be important and used her vote on the powerful board to make change and force conversations surrounding diversity and inclusion, Henderson said.

The fight for justice and equality at OU, led by people like Lewis, is something Moore hopes will be remembered by students who attend the conference named in their honor.

“We don’t want that lost to histor y,” Moore said.

“Because we’re not taught a lot about them in school or here at the university so we want our students to know, especially AfricanAmerican students, that African-American students have helped pave the way for them and are tethered to the university, and played a large role in making this university diverse and inclusive.”

‘IT’S YOUR TURN NOW’ Seated in a chair in his office on the seventh floor of the Physical Science Center, Henderson is surrounded by books, pamphlets and memorabilia from his past as a civil rights activist and community leader.

He’s not there to talk about himself — although he justifiably could, for h ou r s — bu t ab ou t t h e strong women like Lewis, Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher and Clara Luper, who forged a path for himself and countless others.

“If you’re fortunate, you will meet a lot of people,” Henderson said. “If you’re extremely fortunate, you will meet a few people who are a blessing to you and will contribute to your personal, professional growth.

I met those women. Strong women.”

He not only had the home

phone numbers of each, but often used them. There’s no better person to speak to the legacy and impact of these three trailblazing women than Henderson.

“I refer to them as the Big Three of African-American women in Oklahoma — no one cast a longer shadow than those women,” Henderson said.

He flips through the delicate pages of a yellowed pamphlet. It’s from a 1996 Black Student Association ceremony that honored him, Sipuel Fisher, Lewis and several other heroes and heroines in OU’s black community.

He talks in inspirational quotes and powerful sentences, building to the

crescendo of his moving speech until he catches himself, laughing.

“I can hear Clara and the others saying, ‘Preach, G eorge, say the word,’” Henderson says.

But his passion is contagious, his message — the message he thinks Lewis and Sipuel Fisher and Luper would give now — is clear.

“I challenge the next generation — finish what we started,” Henderson said.

“Finish what they started.

It was never meant for people like them and me to take you all the way — it’s your time and your turn now.”

Anna Bauman

Anna.M.Bauman-1@ou.edu

VIA WESTERN HISTORY COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA LIBRARIES

Former OU Regent Sylvia Lewis. Lewis was the first AfricanAmerican to serve on the Board of Regents.

NEWS

December 3-5, 2018 •

Santa got run over by a car Norman Santa will miss Christmas due to injuries

ANNA BAUMAN @annabauman2

Santa knows exactly who is at the top of the naughty list this year — the person who hit him with their car.

Donn Mason, a popular Santa Claus figure in the Norman and Oklahoma City areas, was on his way to see OU’s production of “A Christmas Carol” with his wife on Friday night.

It was dark and rainy, but the lights on the crosswalk w e re f l a s h i n g w h e n h e stepped into the street.

That didn’t stop the car driving down Elm Avenue that struck Mason as he was crossing.

“ I c l e a re d t h e s ou t hbound lane, stepped into the northbound lane — and this goofball hit me at 20, 25 miles per hour,” Mason said from a Norman Regional Hospital bed Saturday morning where he lay with a broken left pelvis and broken right leg.

The crash occurred just after 7:30 p.m. Friday in front of the Elm Avenue parking garage near Catlett Music Center, according to an OUPD police log.

Officers responded and are investigating the collision, said Bruce Chan, OUPD spokesperson. On Saturday night, Chan said he did not have information about the driver of the vehicle available.

With less than a month until Christmas, the accident has put Mason’s decades-long Santa Claus

career temporarily on hold and left the city scrambling to find a replacement for the jolly, white-bearded Santa look-alike.

“I can’t do Santa Claus f o r t h i s w h o l e m o n t h,” Mason said. “Which is a w h o l e ye a r t hat ’s b e e n knocked out.”

Ma s o n , w h o m a k e s a considerable amount of his income during Christmas, has already called to cancel 18 events that were scheduled months in advance.

He would have appeared as Santa at Norman’s annual Christmas parade, STASH’s 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk and a variety of private venues.

Mason has been a fixture as Santa Claus in Norman’s Christmas parade, having missed it only once in the past 30 years due to a health issue.

A stage technician by trade, Mason worked at the Nancy O’Brien Center for the Performing Arts for Norman Public Schools for more than a decade before his recent retirement.

B u t d u r i n g Christmastime, Mason gets to mix it up, driving around to schools, country clubs, apartment complexes and other venues across town in a red Honda Fit inside of which he squeezes a 7-foot homemade chair that he a s s e m b l e s i nt o Sa nt a’s throne at every stop.

The Rhode Island-native first grew his signature bushy beard at 18 while completing his undergraduate degree at Rhode Island College, and has continued in the role ever since.

His favorite part about the gig has always been interacting with the kids,

whose eyes brighten and sparkle when they see Santa, he said.

“They have total, unconditional love for Santa,” said Mason, whose own blue eyes twinkle like Santa’s.

One youngster who grew up seeing Mason as Santa at the Lions Club in downtown Oklahoma City, which serves children with physical and mental disabilities, was puzzled when Mason showed up to volunteer throughout the year without his red coat and Santa hat.

Eventually, she figured it out, he said. “ I know you’re really Donn,” Mason recalls her telling him. “But you make a good Santa.”

Anna Bauman News Managing Editor

Anna Bauman

405-325-3666

Anna.M.Bauman-1@ou.edu

Gallogly nominates executive director OU alumus would do governmental affairs work JORDAN MILLER @jordanrmillerr

John Woods, executive director for the Oklahoma To b a c c o S e t t l e m e n t E n d ow m e nt Fu n d , w a s nominated by OU President James Gallogly to serve as the new executive director of Governmental Affairs on Nov. 29.

Woods, a former Norman Chamber of Commerce CEO, has a lengthy background with government relations and media mana g e m e n t , a c c o rd i n g t o a n O U In f o St a t e m e n t .

Wo o d s a l s o w o r k e d a s

a polic y adviser for the speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2006 to 2010.

As executive director of Governmental Affairs, Woods will “(coordinate) with appropriate University officials and (offer) recommendations to advance the University’s interests in the various governmental spheres,” the OU Info Statement said.

“I believe my prior work with municipal, state and federal governments gives me a great opportunity to be successful on behalf of OU,” Woods said in an email.

Woods said he is excited to work with the university administration in the position, which relies on his approval by the Board of

President picks CFO candidate Gallogly names interim officer for permanent spot JANA ALLEN @jana_allen21

O U P r e s i d e n t Ja m e s Gallogly has nominated four candidates to executive positions, including the position of the Norman campus chief financial officer.

The candidate for senior vice president and C F O i s Ke n n e t h R o w e, the former vice president of Administration and Finance for the OU Health

S c i e n c e s C e n t e r. R o w e has served as interim CFO since Gallogly’s initial executive restructuring July 2, and his nomination to serve permanently must be approved by the Board of Regents at its next meeting.

In an email to The Daily, Rowe said he is honored to be selected for this position, one he sees as an opportunity to serve in a new capacity after 20 years of service to the university. He also said that under Gallogly, Administration and Finance will be divided into two parts: finance and operations.

Rowe will oversee the finance division, which

VIA OUHSC.EDU

Acting CFO and OU Health Sciences Center Vice President for Administration and Finance Ken Rowe. Rowe has been nominated to be the Norman campus’ CFO.

Regents.

“I look forward to worki n g w i t h t h e P re s i d e n t and Board of Regents to advance the University and the goals President Gallogly has put forward,” Woods said.

Wo o d s w o rk e d p re viously as district dir e c t o r f o r To m C o l e , U.S. Representative for Oklahoma’s fourth congressional district. In a statement to The Daily, Cole said he believed OU has made a “superb” choice with Woods’ selection and commended his political talent.

“Without question, his vast web of relationships will greatly benefit the university in the years to come,” Cole said.

“I congratulate President will include areas such as Budget and Financial Planning, Bursar Services and Financial Services.

He said a search is underway for a vice president of operations, who will oversee the departm e nt s o f Pa rk i n g a n d Transportation, Housing and Food Services, and Facilities Management.

When asked what he thought the most pressing concerns are for the department, he said his plans are to achieve Gallogly’s goals of being efficient, saving money and keeping tuition low.

“We will actively manage our financial position with a strong emphasis on sound business decisions, liquidity, responsible use of debt and budgetar y control,” Rowe said in the email. “The Norman campus’ recent trend of spending more than it takes in is not sustainable and is being corrected.”

Rowe said in the email he will “promote a culture of honesty and consistent adherence to sound ethical business practices” in his leadership as CFO. He said that overseeing Norman’s finances will be different from his time at the Health Sciences Center because the two campuses aren’t funded the same way. Norman relies on state funding, tuition and fees, while the Health Sciences Center relies more on clinical revenue, he said in the email.

“While funding mechanisms for the two campuses may be different, my financial philosophy remains the same: sound decision making, financial prudence, with a constant focus on education and research,” Rowe said in the email.

Jana Allen

jana.r.allen-1@ou.edu

Gallogly on this excellent selection, and I look forward to working with John again in this new capacity.”

Norman Chamber of Commerce CEO Scott Martin said he also looks forward to working with Wo o d s a n d m a i n t a i n ing the fruitful relationship he’s had with Wood’s predecessors.

“We’re excited to have somebody with a ton of knowledge about Norman, about the chamber and the university,” Martin said.

“Somebody that ... knows the importance of a healthy partnership between the university and the business community, and I know that John will do everything he can to help cultivate that relationship.”

Martin said he is

confident in Woods’ ability in the position, as the two have known each other since Martin ran for student body president at OU. “He brings a lot to the table, and OU should benefit from that,” Martin said.

“Much of what ... the university does is more than just a local or state level, it’s also a federal level. His experience on a federal level, working for two U.S. representatives, I think that’ll go a long way in helping him be effective for the university.”

Jordan Miller

Jordan.R.Miller-1@ou.edu

Public relations professional nominated VP Marketing and Communications position is new SCOTT KIRKER @scott_kirker

Lauren Brookey, a public relations professional with decades of experience, has been nominated to be vice president of marketing and communications, a new position within the administration.

According to the job listing posted by the university, the position’s goal will be to build awareness of the university’s current strengths while also delivering engaging messages that advance and protect the university’s reputation and mission.

According to the listing, the Vice President of marketing and communications will oversee internal and external communications for all OU campuses by working with the university president, executives and academic leadership to ensure consistency and cohesiveness in delivered messages.

Brookey, the current v i c e p re si d e nt o f e xt e r n a l a f f a i r s a t Tu l s a Community College and the president of the TCC Foundation, said she’s excited to return to OU, where she received a journalism degree in 1981.

“It’s an incredible honor and opportunity to return to OU and work on behalf of my alma mater,” Brookey said.

Brookey said she preferred not to comment on her plans for the position

Kayla Branch Editor in Chief

during the confirmation process, but would be excited to have a more open dialogue once confirmed.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Brookey began her professional career in 1982 as a journalist at the Tulsa Tribune.

Brookey then worked at public relations firm S c h na k e Tu r n b o a n d Associates, now known as Schnake Turnbo Frank.

She later moved to Ward Creative Communications as a public relations consultant, rejoining Schnake Tu r n b o B ro o k e y a n d Associates as a partner in 1995, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Brookey has been vice president of external affairs at Tulsa Community College since 2000, taking on the additional role as president of the TCC Foundation in 2015, according to the OU announcement naming her as a nominee.

Susan Ellerbach, executive editor of the Tulsa World, said Brookey has had a good relationship with the media in her time as vice president of external affairs at Tulsa Community College.

“She knows how to build relationships with the media,” Ellerbach said.

“She was very understanding and great at getting us in touch with the best sources for different stories.”

Scott Kirker

scott.t.kirker-1@ou.edu

Julia Weinhoffer Engagement Editor George Stoia Sports Editor Siandhara Bonnet A&E Editor Will Conover Enterprise Editor Caitlyn Epes Visual Editor Emily McPherson Copy Manager Sarah Barney Print Editor

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Siandhara Bonnet, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/life&arts • Twitter: @OUDailyArts

Theater brings in new perspective Sooner Theatre’s new hire adds fresh technical elements SIANDHARA BONNET @SiandharaB

The new production manager for Sooner Theatre looks to add a different perspective to the organization’s shows.

Sooner Theatre announced Michael Todd as the new production manager for the group in a Facebook post Nov. 19. “Definitely his experience fits in with what we need and some of the goals we’re trying to get accomplished,� said Nancy Coggins, public relations and development director for Sooner Theatre. “He’s got some great ideas. It’s still early in his tenure here, so

we’ve got one show under his belt, and he’ll continue to do great and amazing things as he gets to know us more.�

According to the Facebook post, Todd has taught music and theater programs at Oklahoma City University and Towson University in Towson, Maryland.

Todd is also a singer and songwriter who has toured with Starship, Sawyer Brown, Tracy Lawrence and others.

Todd worked with Sooner Theatre on its first production of “Hairspray,� a show that follows the story of Tracy Turnblad and her dream of dancing on “The Corny Collins Show� in Baltimore in 1962. “In ‘Hairspray,’ he was able to bring some great video elements to the show that we didn’t have the resource for

Dealership makes Christmas music Local musicians featured on annual holiday album ALMA CIENSKI @almacienski

After seven years of seasonal records, the Fowler Volkswagen of Norman released its eighth annual Christmas album, “Sounds of the Season: A Blackwatch Christmas, Volume 8.�

The album was released on Nov. 23 for Black Friday.

Fowler Volkswagen has produced eight holiday albums with Norman-based Blackwatch Studios. This collaboration was initiated by Jonathan Fowler, president of Fowler Volkswagen and a supporter of local music, said Kristen Vails, director of community outreach at Fowler Holding Company.

Fowler was also a big part of launching Norman Music Festival, Vails said. “Opening a new store, (Fowler) didn’t have a budget for traditional advertising, so he relied on community sponsorship and involvement to spread the word about the business,� Vails said. “An avid

collector of vinyl himself, he and his marketing team came up with the idea to make Oklahoma the ‘independent music capital of the world’ by releasing original Christmas music by Oklahoma artists each year.�

The record features nine songs, all performed by Oklahoma musicians. Side A of the vinyl plays “Christmas in Hollywood� by Sports, “Dark and Stormy Christmas�

by Beau Jennings, “Filthy Animal� by Chair Model, “Holiday High� by Duke Luther and “Sasha Don’t Take My Toys Away� by Swim Fan. Beau Jennings said his sentiment for “Dark and Stormy Christmas� was a sort of “lonesome, haunted cowboy spirit,� according to a press release. “I was trying to extract that feeling of, ‘I know there’s some magic to Christmas ‘cause I’ve felt it before, but it’s sure gone now so I gotta go look for it again,’� Jennings said in the release.

The record includes both covers and original songs.

Side B features “Single Star�

by Spaceface, “Melt Away�

by Hot Cider, “Right Here� by Day Drinker and “In Dulci Jubilo� or “In Sweet Rejoicing�

before he came,� Coggins said. “It was nice to see the way he tied in the perspective of a TV dance show of the live production of ‘Hairspray.’�

Todd is currently working on Sooner Theatre’s next production, “A Christmas Story,� which will open Dec. 7 and run Dec. 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16. Tickets are on sale now on the theater’s website.

According to Coggins, there will also be student rush tickets that will be half-price and available one hour before all performances.

Todd is also working on the theater’s junior production of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr.,� which will run the first weekend of February.

Siandhara Bonnet arahdnais@ou.edu

by James McAllister.

For many artists, Christmas records are a time to let loose and create something fun, and “Sounds of the Season� is no different, Vails said.

Taylor Johnson, a member of Chair Model, said in the release his inspiration for “Filthy Animal� came straight from the 1990 holiday classic “Home Alone,� as a chance to bring some nostalgia to ‘80s and ‘90s kids. “The record allows for artists to be creative, playful or do something different than they usually do,� Vails said. “For Fowler, it’s just a great opportunity to get our name out there for doing something different. We love supporting the arts. For some, traditional Christmas music can be overplayed, so we hope the record brings some freshness to the season.�

A limited edition vinyl copy was made available at Guestroom Records in Norman and Oklahoma City on Black Friday.

Vinyl copies are available at Guestroom as well as at the Fowler dealership, located at 617 N. Interstate Drive.

The album is available as a download online, to accompany the seven previous albums, as well as on Spotify.

Alma Cienski

aacienski@ou.edu

VIA FACEBOOK

New Sooner Theatre production manager Michael Todd. Todd previously worked at Oklahoma City University and Towson University in Towson, Maryland.

Norman Music Festival pairs with breweries Brew Sessions combines local beer, live music BAILEY FORTENBAUGH @adavyeliab

The Nor man Music Festival is bringing back Brew Sessions in January to raise money for the April 2019 festival.

The Brew Sessions are a fundraiser that pairs local beer and live music to support the Norman Music Festival.

January’s Brew Sessions will feature local artists at three sessions throughout the event. Each session will last two hours and will feature local breweries at the Main Street Event Center.

The live music will include a variety of folk, p s y c h e d e l i c ro c k a n d blues influences from Heartbreak Rodeo, Daddy Love Band, The Whiskey Gingers, DJ Jon Mooneyham and Rainbows Are Free. The brewer y lineup will be announced closer to the date.

HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last The possibilities are endless if you use your imagination and concentrate on being the best. A positive attitude will entice others to support your efforts. A change of heart will help direct you when dealing with personal matters. Turn your dreams into realities.

my friend’s got mental illness

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -Take care of responsibilities and get ahead. The time you put in now will pay off when you want to spend time with friends and family as the year comes to a close.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -Take a wait-and-see approach when dealing with anyone who tends to be unpredictable. A practical attitude will help you deal with any uncertainty that comes your way.

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.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Look at and make changes to personal documents that may be time-sensitive. Taking care of business before you move on to more pleasurable activities will ease stress.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- A little nurturing will go a long way.

Make a promise to someone special, and don’t renege. Aim to end the year on a high note and in better financial shape.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- If you are intent on making a change, focus on self-improvement instead of trying to alter someone else.

Don’t neglect your responsibilities or you will face criticism.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Share your thoughts and make plans or arrangements to visit or talk to an older relative who would appreciate the gesture. A kind action will get you in the festive spirit.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Don’t leave anything to chance. If you trust in someone, you’d better be sure that he or she doesn’t have ulterior motives. Moderation will be in your best interest.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You’ll find the perfect way to update your image or a special outfit for a festive event. Romance is on the rise and can lead to a closer bond with a loved one.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Keep life simple. You may feel like getting into the spirit of the season, but putting your health first will help you avoid a bug that’s spreading through your community.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You’ll do best if you are out and about.

Shopping, attending business functions or making changes to your legal or financial papers will help you avoid domestic problems.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Taking a short trip or making plans to travel during the holiday season will lift your spirits. The information you are offered will open your eyes to a situation you are facing at home.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- The personal changes you put into play will be well-received. Whether it’s adopting a new look, decorating your home or doing something for an old friend or relative, it will be gratifying.

VIA BREW SESSIONS FACEBOOK

The Norman Music Festival Brew Sessions will raise money for the April 2019 festival. The Brew Sessions will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Main Street Event Center.

“Brew Sessions allows for local breweries to showcase their wares alongside local bands — a complementary pairing of Okiecentric musical and artisanal offerings under one roof,� said Richie Tarver, lead guitarist in Rainbows are Free. “In all, it’s an opportunity to lend support to a truly remarkable annual event, and in turn get a taste of the local flavor.�

General admission to each of the brew sessions costs $35. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through the event’s Facebook page. The event will also offer designated driver tickets for $20, and

tickets at the door will cost $40.

January’s Brew Sessions will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Main Street Event Center, located at 300 E. Main St. in Norman.

Bailey Fortenbaugh

bailey.v.fortenbaugh-1@ ou.edu

On Twitter?

Stay connected.

@OUDaily @OUDailyArts @OUDailySports

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker December 3, 2018

ACROSS 1 Plaything 4 Ratchet parts 9 Rub too harshly 14 Minimal number 15 Anticipate 16 Angry dispute 17 Neutral possessive 18 Periods of long-ago 20 Operated with a surgical beam 22 Some wool providers 23 Apparitions 26 Supernaturally evil 31 A one-in-amillion thing 33 Con’s early release 34 Wine vat kin 36 Nursery inhabitants 38 Ale alternative 39 State with certainty 41 Stand for an artist 43 Very dry 44 Transported by Greyhound 46 Emulate a masseuse 48 Dum-Dum’s twins?

49 Martini inserts

12/3

51 Nicaragua’s Daniel 53 Welsh dish 55 Some in the Middle East 58 Has birthdays 60 Seashore recess 61 “That never existed�

67 Mine find 68 Puff up 69 Dashboard item 70 Commandment taboo 71 With wings 72 “Get ___ of yourself!�

73 Collector’s unit DOWN 1 Works hard 2 Like draft brew 3 Private answers?

4 Prospectors may strike it 5 Wonder 6 Used to be 7 Diet package word 8 Beef and Irish 9 Fancy glass material 10 Color 11 Santa ___ wind 12 Christmas tree type 13 Grandstanding threesome?

19 Do this with a scythe 21 History book subject 24 Cheap backyard swing 25 Meaty entree 27 Certain Algerian 28 Something you won’t miss 29 End of the small intestine 30 Some breath mints 32 Type of question 34 Fife go-with 35 Pendant in the throat 37 Future visionaries?

40 “___ Only Just Begun�

42 Not punctual

45 Fiasco 47 Kinda deified entity 50 “Well, whatever� exhalation 52 Certain hard liquor 54 Fore four?

56 Seriously creepy 57 Surgery tube 59 1979 Middle East exile 61 U.S. spy grp.

62 Headturning creature 63 Poseidon’s place 64 With none better (Abbr.)

65 “What can ___ for you?�

66 Nada kin

PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER

12/2 Š 2018 Andrews McMeel Universal 11/29 Š 2018 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com www.upuzzles.com

ANSWER ME! By Timothy E. Parker

December 3-5, 2018 •

SPORTS

5

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

Kyler shows out in Texas game Quarterback was comfortable in familiar stadium CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21

ARLINGTON, Texas — Going into No. 5 Oklahoma’s (12-1, 8-1 Big 12) 39-27 win against No. 14 Texas (9-4, 7-3 Big 12), quarterback Kyler Murray had already won five games at AT&T Stadium, all of themduring his days playing at Allen High School: Three state championships and two playoff games.

Going into his sixth game at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, Murray — his first game at AT&T Stadium not in an Allen High School uniform — had a more daunting challenge ahead of him: winning a Big 12 title, beating the team’s only loss and keeping Sooner Nation’s College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Luckily for the Sooners, the setting was familiar to Murray.

“You could see a sense of comfort, him being here,” said wide receiver Nick Basquine, who finished the game with 44 yards on two

receptions. “Just seeing how calm and cool and collected he is like he always is. But he’s definitely been here before.”

Murray threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns in a game meant for vengeance.

Six weeks ago in the Cotton Bowl, Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger had the last laugh with 386 yards of total offense and five touchdowns that sent the Sooners home with a bitter 48-45 loss. Murray delivered two costly turnovers — an interception and a fumble in the Sooners’ red zone — that proved to be game changers in the team’s loss.

But not at AT&T Stadium.

Murray threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns while tallying up 45 rushing yards.

He didn’t turn the ball over once. And he even threw a dime to Grant Calcaterra in the end zone to put the Sooners up 39-27 with just 2:00 left on the clock that proved to be a dagger to the Longhorns.

“We called a play that gave us a few different options. Kyler was decisive,” head coach Lincoln Riley said. “Grant, great catch ...

That catch will live on in Oklahoma history forever,

what a play.”

In a game where the “horns down” hand gesture was going to cost the Sooners yards, the team kept its poise in a game that meant everything to Oklahoma’s future in the playoff. Murray didn’t flinch and was calm and collected the whole time.

“He just stayed relaxed the whole time,” running back Trey Sermon said. “Definitely like he’s been here before. He continues to play at a high level.”

S o, i n Mu r ray v e r s u s Ehlinger Part II, it was Murray who had the advantage in a stadium that seemed more Longhorn than Sooner, and he played the game of a lifetime. A performance like that may just be the cherry on top of his Heisman campaign.

“He’s done things in college football that have never happened before, but I think the biggest thing for me is he had to do it in big moments,” Riley said. “The things he does moving, the things he does throwing the football, how good he is mentally, I mean, you saw it today.”

Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mccourry@ou.edu

AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY

Redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray walks out of the tunnel before the Big 12 Championship game Dec. 1. Murray threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns during the game, which the Sooners won 39-27.

Defense proves fundamental in Big 12 win Unit comes up with key plays, shuts down naysayers ABBY BITTERMAN @abby_bitterman

ARLINGTON, Texas — It’s no secret the Oklahoma defense hasn’t been playing well this season, but whenever it needs to make a big play, it does, and that was no different Saturday at AT&T Stadium.

The defense kept the Sooners in the game for their 39-27 Big 12 Championship win over Texas and made some of the biggest plays of the game doing it, especially in the fourth quarter, giving up just 66 yards of total offense.

Up by 3 points in the fourth quarter, Oklahoma was driving down the field to try to extend its lead. Redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray hit sophomore wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for a 54-yard

pass that Lamb took to the 10-yard line where he was hit from behind and fumbled.

The Longhorns recovered the fumble and took over deep in their own territory.

A drive that should have resulted in a big momentum builder for Oklahoma quickly turned into an opportunity for Texas to retake the lead.

Then, two plays later, Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger dropped back into the end zone to pass, but, as he had taken the snap, sophomore corner Tre Brown came barreling at Ehlinger uncontested and tackled him in the end zone for a safety.

“I got a green light, and I took my shot and delivered,” Brown said.

All of a sudden, the momentum had shifted back to the Sooners.

“For me to cough up the ball and then Tre to help me out, that took a lot of weight off my shoulders,” Lamb said.

“I couldn’t thank him enough, and I just told him that I thank

him for that and helping me out, which he did.”

An interception, key sacks, forcing Texas to punt four times — Oklahoma’s defense did its best to quiet the talk that the Sooners don’t deserve to be in the playoff.

Coach Lincoln Riley started the season talking about the importance of playing complementary football, and the Sooners got as close as they had been in a while to being complementary on all sides of the ball Saturday in Arlington.

The Sooners gave up 40 or more points in every game they played in the month of November, making their defensive woes stand out more and more each week, and the offense kept having to bail the team out. In the championship game, the defense was still far from perfect, but it held up stronger against an opposing offense than it had in a while.

“When we weren’t scoring, they got stops, and that’s how football is supposed to be

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Sophomore cornerback Tre Brown tackles Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger in the endzone. The Sooner defense only gave up 66 yards in the fourth quarter.

played,” Murray said. “I think it was a great team win today.”

The defense has been Oklahoma’s biggest question mark this season, its weakest link and the piece that some felt would keep it out of the

playoff. But somehow, this de- championship, Riley anfense is just enough to make swered before the question the big plays in key moments was even finished.

“Yes, yes I do.” that allows the Sooners to win.

When asked if he thought his team’s defense was good Abby Bitterman abbybitt@ou.edu enough to win a national

Offense overcomes challenges, pulls off win O-line rallies to aid passing attack on way to redemption PARKER PRIMROSE @parker_primrose

ARLINGTON, Texas — There was 2:06 remaining in the game when redshirt junior quarterback Kyler Murray and the Oklahoma offense took the field to face a third-and-10 on the Texas 18-yard line. With Oklahoma clinging to a narrow 32-27 lead, the team needed to emerge from the red zone with a touchdown in order to take a two-score lead and potentially put the game away.

“We wanted to give ourselves some options,” head coach Lincoln Riley said about the play call. “Texas had been pretty aggressive down there in that area, so we wanted to have an option for Kyler to get rid of the ball quickly if we had the matchup that we liked.”

Murray lined up 8 yards behind the center and took the snap, surveying the field as the Longhorns launched an all-out blitz at the quarterback. Murray was forced to make a decision in a hurry,

JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY

Sophomore tight end Grant Calcaterra makes a touchdown catch during the Big 12 Championship game against Texas Dec. 1. Calcaterra’s catch secured a two-score lead that would ultimately result in the Sooners’ win.

lofting a pass into the air for sophomore Grant Calcaterra as the 6-foot-4-inch tight end ran an outside fade toward the far pylon.

“It’s something we do every Tuesday: one-on-ones, inside fade,” Calcaterra said.

“All I had to do was make the play. The play call was there.

It was up to me to make the

competitive play.”

The pass floated through the air and over the head of a Texas defender, with the ball ultimately landing in Calcaterra’s outstretched r ight hand. The touchdown would stand, and the Sooners’ offense had secured a two-score lead that would ultimately result in

their fourth consecutive Big 12 title — a 39-27 win over No. 14 Texas.

“That was probably the most excited I’ve been for a touchdown all season,” senior offensive lineman Dru Samia said. “I think you could see it on my face.

Obviously, Grant is a really passionate player. I’m really

happy for him. We fed off of his energy.”

The touchdown encapsulated what had been a challenging yet successful day for the offense, as the unit overcame a slow start and an injury to junior wide receiver Marquise Brown in order to put up 508 total yards and four touchdowns on their Red River rival.

“We’ve been thin in some areas, no question about it, and had to have some guys step up,” Riley said. “Guys continued to make plays, and that’s the expectation here — no matter who we have, no matter who is playing us, no matter who gets hurt.”

Several Sooners made an impact in Brown’s absence, as 10 different receivers had at least one reception and five different players had more than 30 receiving yards. Leading the charge was sophomore wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who finished the day with 167 yards and one touchdown on six receptions.

“We’re too deep at the receiver position,” Lamb said. “We have a lot of guys that can make plays at any time. You never know when you’re going to have your opportunity or your moment

— you’ve just got to cherish it.”

Aiding the passing attack was an offensive line that got better as the game went along, overcoming early issues and an 8 point deficit in the second quarter to help Oklahoma finish with 129 yards rushing.

“The emotion was there, the intensity was there, but as far as the execution, we were more than lacking in that area (early),” Samia said.

“But we came together, our coaches helped us get back into it, and we just rallied back.”

The offense wasn’t perfect, but it fought through its inconsistencies and did enough to win. And as the team prepares for a future bowl game and a potential playoff matchup, that’s exactly what it will need to do moving forward.

“It shows the confidence of our team,” redshirt freshman running back Kennedy Brooks said. “It shows the fight that we have to just go out there and just pull out tough games like this. We just go out there, do our job, and just ball out for each other.”

Parker Primrose

parker.m.primrose-1@ou.edu

6

• December 3-5, 2018

OU DAILY

SPORTS

PHOTO BY CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY