February 2-5, 2017 by OU Daily

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Junior center Vionise Pierre-Louis prepares to pass the ball to an open teammate during the first half of the game against Iowa State Jan. 25. Pierre-Louis hopes to open her own hospital after graduation.

HOOPS AND HOPE Basketball star aims to open hospital

hen she first stepped off the plane in Haiti in the fall of 2012, Sherri Coale knew she was in for a challenge. After an hour-long drive through rice fields, multiple villages and a litany of potholes, the OU women’s basketball coach finally reached her destination. She had arrived at the home of Viguens Pierre-Louis, the father of a player she was recruiting. “When you recruit a student-athlete, you have to connect with their family,” Coale said. In this case, it was a special family. Coale was recruiting a woman who, since she was 5 years old, dreamed of running her own hospital in Haiti. “‘I want to be a doctor,’” she would tell her mother, Saintelise Glaude. “She was like, ‘Baby girl, what type of doctor?’ I was like ‘I don’t know, a doctor.’” Now a junior center at the OU, Vionise Pierre-Louis still has the same goal. Coale earned her signature, in part, by making the nearly 2,000-mile trek to Haiti to meet and have dinner with Vionise PierreLouis’ father. “She flew out to Haiti and met my parents,” said Pierre-Louis, who has become one of Oklahoma’s most important players. “That’s one of the biggest things that got me to go here. Like who would go out of their way to fly to Haiti to meet my

GEORGE STOIA • @GEORGESTOIA

parents? “My dad is very involved in my life, even though he’s in Haiti, and he pushes academics a lot. So for Coach Coale to fly and make my dad a part of it, she was the first to make my dad feel (like) a part of the recruiting process.” Her recruiting strategy may have been unorthodox, but Coale knew from the first time she met Vionise Pierre-Louis — who goes by Vivi — that she was something special. The 6-foot-4-inch center could do anything asked of her on the court, but it was who she was off the court that stood out the most. Today, Pierre-Louis is dominating both the court and the classroom, making strides toward turning her vision into a reality. Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, and a daughter of two Haitian natives, Pierre-Louis was raised by her mother for the majority of her life because her father was deported to Haiti. Pierre-Louis was inspired by her parents’ will for a better life. “I look up to my parents. I want to be as hardworking, as driven as they are,” Pierre-Louis said. “To see as much as they did in life, coming to America with nothing and building something out of that. That’s like the fairy tale dream that you want to live by.” She grew up with four brothers

— including one named Stanley, who influenced her to play basketball. Stanley would bully her into going to the park with him until she finally decided to play with her school team in seventh grade.

“I don’t think I’m a basketball player. I’m a person first, then a basketball player.” VIONISE PIERRE-LOUIS, JUNIOR CENTER

Pierre-Louis attended Grandview Preparatory School in Florida, where she became one of the top prospects in her class. She eventually signed with OU and is in a planned program — another step in achieving her dream of becoming a doctor in Haiti. Current teammate and roommate Gilly Penzo says her friend’s

goal is pretty simple: to give back to her country. “I feel like it’s awesome. Vivi is such a nice person that she just wants to give back to her country, give back to women that don’t have that opportunity to have really nice care at the hospitals,” Penzo said. One activity Pierre-Louis has participated in since attending Oklahoma is the Sooners 4 Haiti trip, which takes place every year. This program allows Oklahoma student-athletes the opportunity to travel to Haiti for a week and help those in need — something that hits home for Pierre-Louis. In fact, it was one of the factors that brought her to Norman. “When I came here, like, you can’t say no,” Pierre-Louis said. “They felt like they were my sisters, and then on top of that they do community service. Coach Coale is so big on people, not just basketball players. I don’t think I’m a basketball player. I think I’m a person first, then a basketball player. She was big on building women and developing women, and I just love that about the program.” Since she was very young, PierreLouis has returned to Haiti every break to see her family. Each time she goes back, she’s even more motivated to help people in need. “Every time I go back to Haiti and

do some type of community service or see my family and the people that have less than me, that’s always motivation to go back and want to help,” Pierre-Louis said. Currently, Pierre-Louis is in her third year at Oklahoma and having the best season of her career. She’s averaging over 10 points and eight rebounds a game and is the reigning Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year. Off the court, Pierre-Louis is continuing to take steps toward becoming a doctor and hopes to someday travel the world to learn about other countries that lack resources. Pierre-Louis had a dream when she was a kid, and now she’s finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. “God brought us here for a purpose, and it’s to help,” Pierre-Louis said. “Jesus was here and he helped the poor, he helped the sick, he helped people that weren’t able to fend for themselves. I want to be something like that. I want to help as many people as I can. “I can’t say a set number. I can’t say I want to be a millionaire. I don’t want to be rich by the time I’m 50, but I just want to help as many people as I’m able to.” George Stoia

george.s.stoia-1@ou.edu

Newly elected drum major makes history Rising junior becomes first female leader of The Pride of Oklahoma ANDREW CLARK @Clarky_Tweets

The Pride of Oklahoma has never elected a female drum major in its 112-year history — until now. Julie Siberts, musical education sophomore with an instrumental focus, was elected by her fellow band members to be the next leader of The Pride. “It’s a huge honor to stand out in this way and to show that this position isn’t about what you are. It’s about who you are,” she said. “This is something I’ve really wanted to do since the moment I stepped on campus.”

When Siberts was a freshman, she played trumpet for The Pride and served as a trumpet squad leader this past season. Although previously she had led just a squad of three others and herself, she said she has tried to demonstrate leadership qualities regardless of not having much experience. “I think that’s super important to always just act like a role model and really be a great ambassador for this organization,” she said. Siberts said she is a third-generation music education major and Pride member. Her mother and father were also both in The Pride. She first learned to play piano, followed by the cello, the oboe and the trumpet in high school. “I really just grew up with music surrounding me,” she said. “All of my family members have been

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JULIE SIBERTS

Musical education sophomore Julie Siberts will be the first female drum major for the Pride of Oklahoma. Siberts plays the trumpet.

music majors and are really involved with music. ... It’s just how I grew up. I didn’t know anything different.”

When Siberts begins her duties, she said her job is to inspire and motivate the other band members to do their best.

“The band’s going to be as great as it wants to be,” she said. “I can want it for them as badly as I want to, but it’s not until they want it for themselves that it’s really going to improve.” “The Pride of Oklahoma has possibly the greatest students on campus, and they always work so hard to achieve the most, and they inspire me each and every single day,” Siberts said. “I can’t wait to see if I can push them even further.” Brian Britt, director of The Pride, also congratulated Siberts for earning the position on Facebook, saying she is an “exceptional rising junior continuing this tradition of exemplary student leadership.” Andrew Clark

andrewclark@ou.edu

• February 2-5, 2017

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

Panel addresses Trump’s order

Faculty responds to students’ concerns over president’s ban ANNA BAUMAN @annabauman2

Faculty members addressed international stud e n t s’ c o n c e r n s a b o u t President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration at a panel discussion hosted by the Iranian Student Association Tuesday. Mehrnoush Nourbakhsh, doctoral student and ISA president, said she organized the event due to common concerns and confusion expressed by international students after the immigration order. “I saw that some of them, they really were so concerned and they didn’t know what’s going on in the future for their life,” Nourbakhsh said. The panel sought to answer students’ questions as well as provide them with support, said Suzette Grillot, dean of the OU College of International Studies. In addition to Grillot, the panel featured Randall Hewes, dean of the OU Graduate College; Nima Zecavati, immigration attorney for OU; George Ahmadi, assistant director for Student Programs and SGA adviser; and Suzanne Kern, director of international risk management at OU. Dur ing the questionand-answer-style gathering, students asked specific questions about complex

legal issues regarding their status as international students and immigrants. “On the executive order that comes out that affects our students, we want to be able to do something like this because it is confusing — we’re not expecting a bunch of college students to be able to understand every single executive order that comes out,” Kern said. “We want to be able to do something like this so we can address it and be here for the questions.” In addition to legal complexities, the issues are also political, Grillot said. “For international students that did not grow up in our political system, we’re trying to help them understand how our political system works,” Grillot said. “It’s hard enough for us and we come from these systems. I can only imagine SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY how difficult it can be for Panelists discuss what President Donald Trump’s executive orders will mean for OU international students Tuesday in Zarrow an international student Hall. to understand not only the legal implications but polit- communicating with each implications of the execu- that she has experienced ical as well.” other. tive order in their lives. s i n c e m ov i n g h e re t w o NO BAN “We are doing a lot of re“Clearly, we feel ver y years ago. NO WALL search on our own, read- strongly about this commu“During this time every“We’re sorting ing everything we can get nity,” Grillot said. “We serve body that contacted me SOLIDARITY through the our hands on, we’re talking them 24/7, year-round. and talked to me, they are MARCH information to figure to each other,” Kern said. This has been a big blow to really friendly and supWHAT: Hundreds plan out the best way to “It’s a situation that peo- all of us who work in inter- portive,” Nourbakhsh said. ple all over the country are national education in the “I was really impressed to march in solidarity talk with our students with those who have dealing with. We’re sorting sense that it’s something by a l l t h e s u p p o r t t hat and figure out what through the information to our students are worried we got, from the underbeen affected by President Donald to do as a university.” figure out the best way to about, struggling with. We graduate students to the Trump’s recent talk with our students and want to jump on board and most important person in executive orders SUZANNE KERN, figure out what to do as a try to help them, support the university, President on immigration and DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL university.” them. It’s important to have Boren, all of them. I reproposed wall along the RISK MANAGEMENT In addition to clarify- these kind of gatherings so ally appreciate that and southern U.S. border. ing legal and political is- that they feel that support.” a m h a p p y t o b e h e r e .” Kern said she and other sues, the event was also Nourbakhsh said that WHEN: 12:30 p.m. to 2 panelists are navigating an opportunity for faculty this event, as well as the p.m. Thursday the complexity and uncer- to show support for stu- Monday rally on the South Anna Bauman WHERE: The South Oval tainty of the issues at hand dents who are struggling Oval, confirmed the wel- anna.m.bauman-1@ou.edu by staying informed and and concerned about the coming atmosphere at OU

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February 2-5, 2017 • 3

Bias hotline receives 29 reports

Twenty-four hour system in place since September ANDREW CLARK @Clarky_Tweets

In its first two months of usage, OU ’s 24-hour Reporting Hotline — which took at least nine months for the university to install — received 29 total reports. Of the 29 reports from Sept. 9 — the day the hotline was implemented — to Nov. 18, seven were for “bias or prejudice behavior or actions,” six were for “unwelcome verbal or physical conduct” and four were for “physical or mental harassment or misconduct,” according to records provided by OU. The category with the highest number of reports was “other,” with eight. Jabar Shumate, vice president for the university community, said “other” can encompass a number of incidents, such as if someone called to report that alcohol was present inside of a fraternity house. As of Dec. 22, 2016, 10 of the reports had been resolved and 19 were in the process. Title IX closed four of the 10 resolved reports, while the OU Police D epar tment and Equal Opportunity Office closed two others. Two were found non-actionable, which means either — under its policies — the university determined it cannot do anything to discipline the person a report was made about or the person who made the report decided not to take action, said Bobby Mason, t h e u n i v e r s i t y ’s e q u a l

opportunity officer and Title IX coordinator. Shumate said reports only go to the Office of University Community when a report is deemed “non-actionable,” and all actionable reports are redirected by the Institutional Equity Office to the office best equipped to handle a situation described in a report. The Office of University Community was reviewing 17 of the 19 reports that were unresolved at the time. The hotline launched four days after the hashtag #yOUrbad went viral among OU students, with hundreds of tweets from students detailing different instances of discrimination on campus. Mason said Jan. 19 that the 29 reports received in the first two months were about what he expected, and the number of total reports is now up to about 39. The Office of University Community was initially going to serve as the clearinghouse for hotline reports. However, according to an Aug. 7, 2016, email from Anil Gollahalli, university vice president and general counsel to the Board of Regents, OU President David Boren was concerned about how calls requiring formal investigation would be handled. As a result, the Institutional Equity Office, which is a combination of the Equal Opportunity Office and Title IX office, was charged with running the hotline. Once that office was put in charge, OU harmlessly parted ways with Greenwood Hall and contracted with EthicsPoint instead, Mason said. Shumate said there w ere missing pie ces in Greenwood Hall’s product,

24-Hour Hotline Reports, by type Sept. 9, 2016 through Nov. 18, 2016

6: Unwelcome verbal or physical conduct

7: Bias or prejudicial behavior or actions

2: Sexual misconduct, gender discrimination or harassment

1: Other discrimination or harassment

4: Physical or mental harassment or misconduct 1: Equal employment opportunity concerns

Total reports received: 29 Reports resolved: 10

(4 by Title IX, 1 by OUPD, 3 by Equal Opportunity Ofﬁce, 2 not actionable)

Reports in progress: 19

(17 with Ofﬁce of University Community, 1 with Title IX, 1 with Equal Opportunity Ofﬁce) Data provided by OU DANA BRANHAM/THE DAILY

and Mason said the ability to better communicate made EthicsPoint a better product than the other. “The feature that (EthicsPoint) has that Greenwood Hall didn’t, was that Greenwood Hall was sort of a fire-and-forget system,” Mason said. “(EthicsPoint) allows me to go back and continue to communicate with an individual so that an individual doesn’t just send a report to the university, and then it’s

blindly there, and (has to) trust that the university is doing the right thing.” Mason also said the price of EthicsPoint’s product was of great savings to the university when compared to Greenwood Hall’s product. OU signed a one-year contract with EthicsPoint for $12,800 for the hotline, but Mason said the university intends to have a system like the hotline in place for longer than that. Shumate and the Office

Striving for affordable books Junior reaches out to make required texts accessible

of University Community were involved in negotiations with Greenwood Hall to install a reporting hotline in December 2015, if not earlier. Emails and contracts obtained by The Daily do not indicate whether or not negotiations took place earlier than that time. However, Shumate said Jan. 18 that the idea for the hotline came after student activists approached him with the idea about a year ago.

@olivedubbie

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

Pubic relations junior Cassidy Huckabay talks about the textbook sharing project she started to help students who have trouble affording textbooks Jan. 24. She hopes to make it a campus-wide program.

“l started getting all this academically,” Croom said. “We have to be really feedback on it, and then reconscious that we’re put- alized that it could actually ting students in a position become a student organiin which they can be suc- zation and become somecessful, and we don’t want thing that could be huge at them to be in a position OU and really help a lot of people. ... I where they don’t know, can’t be successful sim- “We have to be really I j u s t f e l t ply because conscious that we’re e x t r e m e l y of the cost of putting students in a overjoyed,” a textbook,” position in which they H u c k a b a y said. Croom said. can be successful, Huckabay N e x t , and we don’t want has received Huckabay a lot of enmoved to them to be in a thusiasm Faceb o ok position where they f r o m s t u with her can’t be successful d e n t s l i k e project, leaving mes- simply because of the h e r s e l f . ameron sages on the cost of a textbook.” C Burleson, Faceb o ok political pages of the science juOU class of ADAM CROOM, 2 0 1 8 a n d DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL LEARNING n i o r a n d h e r o f s o - FOR THE CENTER FOR TEACHING v i c e p re s i EXCELLENCE dent of the rority, Pi OU Student Beta Phi. She hoped to involve others willing to Government Association, share their own textbooks. d o n a t e d t e x t b o o k s t o She received about 30 text- Huckabay because resellbooks within the first week ing them for money had of school and has since never been necessary for him, he said. reached 40, she said.

“I don’t think I’ve ever re s o l d a b o o k b a ck . I f somebody ever asks me for a book they need for a specific class that I’ve already used, I always just give them away, so this is the perfect way for me to be able to help on a broader scale and reach out and be able to give thes e b o oks to p e ople that are really struggling,” Burleson said. Huckabay’s next plan is to formalize her project by creating specific donation locations and thereby continue to build its momentum. “I feel like by next fall, I could kind of have it off the ground because so many people are willing to help, which is amazing to me,” Huckabay said. Students can donate textbooks to Huckabay by contacting her on Facebook or emailing her at cassidy.t.huckabay-1@ ou.edu. Olivia Dubcak

oliviadubcak@gmail.com

Andrew Clark

andrewclark@ou.edu

Activist, actor to speak at OU event his privilege to champion causes for decades, even in his 20s,” Hill said. “This is someone who didn’t have to give up their dreams and aspirations. He proved that TAYLOR WILSON @taylornwilson19 you can have a career, and at the same time, use it to S o c i a l a c t i v i s t , help others. I hope that our actor and singer Harr y students can see and learn Belafonte will speak in the from his example.” Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall Reser vations must be of Catlett Music Center at made for the dinner on 7 p.m. Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 by calling at the upcomor emailing OU i n g P re s i d e nt ’s Public Affairs at Associates dinner (405) 325-3784 at 6 p.m. Feb. 9. or specialevBelafonte ents@ou.edu. w o rk e d c l o s e l y H o w e v e r, t h e with Dr. Martin Feb. 8 discussion L u t h e r K i n g J r. is free and open during the civil to the public. rights movement “ We w a n t t o and is als o one make sure that of the most suc- PHOTO PROVIDED a n y o n e t h a t BY OU PUBLIC cessful Jamaicancan get there AFFAIRS American enteris able to hear tainers in history. him speak,” Hill Karlos Hill, associate said. “The Sharp Hall can professor of African and fit close to 1,100. If we are African American stud- able to fill up Catlett, that ies at OU, said he went to will be a great testament President David Boren to the community’s interand aske d if he w ould est in having conversations be interested in bring- around race and activism.” ing Belafonte on campus. Prior to the discussion, Hill said Boren thought there will be a public lecit was a great idea given ture at 4 p.m. Feb. 7 in Belafonte’s background in the Governors, Regents humanitarianism and so- and Associates Rooms of cial justice work. the Oklahoma Memorial H i l l w a s p r e v i o u s - Union by Judith E. Smith, ly tenured at Texas Tech a Belafonte scholar who University, where he also wrote the novel “Becoming brought Belafonte as a part Belafonte,” which details of the university’s African Belafonte’s success in theAmerican History Month atre, as well as his time Lecture Series last year. in the Navy during World “It was so impactful in War II. Also, at 7:30 p.m. terms of the university and that evening, there will be the community,” Hill said. a screening of Belafonte’s “I thought that someone 1959 film, “The World, the like him would be a great Flesh, and the Devil” in the fit for OU given everything theater of Headington Hall. that has taken place in our The film, which Belafonte country around race and co-produced and starred in, race relations.” incorporates his views on Above all, Hill said he politics and social justice. wants students to be impacted by Belafonte’s visit. “Harr y Belafonte is Taylor Wilson someone who spent his taylornw098@gmail.com life in service of others. He is someone who used

Belafonte worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr.

OLIVIA DUBCAK

It was around 6 a.m. when public relations junior Cassidy Huckabay sat at Starbucks attempting to study, as she does many mornings, but she became lost in thought about an article she had read on hunger. The story was an OU Daily profile of Joelle Glimp, social work and professional writing junior, who struggles with financial distress and dayto-day hunger. Huckabay took classes with Glimp, and she began to wonder how students facing similar financial str uggles were able to buy expensive textbooks. “I’m watching this video of Joelle, and she’s putting peanut butter on bread and I’m thinking, ‘You’re literally sacrificing your food to afford your textbooks,’” Huckabay said. This gave Huckabay an idea. She started small, reaching out to her previous professors, like Adam Croom, and offering her own textbooks to their incoming students. Croom, director of digital Learning for the Center for Teaching Excellence, w o rk s w i t h i n s t r u c t o r s to redesign their courses in order to integrate digital textbooks and open e ducational res ources. He offered to reach out to his students and assist Huckabay with her growing project. “There was a survey that came out a couple of years ago, actually, by the U.S. (Public Interest Research Group) Education Fund, and it said that 65 percent of students actually opt out of buying a college textbook due to its high price, and of those students, 94 percent say that they suffer

8: Other

Greenw ood Hall s ent the Office of University Community its original price offer Dec. 2, 2015. The original price offered for a one-year contract was $2.15 per student — or $66,189.90, plus an initial setup fee of $9,250. For a two-year contract, the price was $1.85 per student, or $113,908.20. Additionally, if OU agreed to the two-year contract, the initial setup fee would have been waived. O n D e c . 1 1 , D ’A n d re Fisher, Shumate’s special assistant, emailed Chris Burton, Greenwood Hall’s Vice President of business development, saying Shumate — who was CC’d on the email — felt it was not a good time to move forward with the hotline because of budget cuts. “Please know that o n c e w e k n ow t hat t h e University’s Budget is in a good place this will be the first priority on our list to complete,” Fisher said in the email. A few weeks later, on Jan. 4, 2016, Burton emailed Fisher and Shumate a new price point. The prices of both original contracts were cut in half. Burton said Greenwood Hall would not have made any money on either of the deals. However, later in the day, Shumate told Pam Hicks, executive assistant in the Office of University Community, that OU would not be able to contract with Greenwood Hall. The Daily reached out to Burton Jan. 12 for comment via email but received no response.

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â&#x20AC;˘ February 2-5, 2017

Construction to turn Cross Center into housing to begin next month An area of campus that used to house students is being renovated to make way for more upperclassmen lodging. Cross Center, the location of the future dorms, is located at the intersection of Cross Center Drive and 4th Street and includes ďŹ ve ofďŹ ce buildings that served as residence halls until the 1970s, said Brian Ellis, director of Facilities Management. The new housing project will include four buildings with a total of 1,200 beds as well as a parking structure with approximately 1,000 spots, Ellis said. Construction on the project is set to begin in March after the necessary legal work has been completed and is charted for completion by fall 2018, Ellis said. The residence halls are being built in response to a marketing study that showed a demand for upperclassmen housing on campus, which is currently not provided for students, Ellis said. Upperclassmen dorms being built at the corner of Jenkins Avenue and Lindsey Street will open in fall 2017. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to provide an opportunity for students who want to live close to campus,â&#x20AC;? Ellis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It provides an attractive option for upperclassmen students to live in during their time at OU. Right now that type of housing is being served far away from campus.â&#x20AC;? Ellis said further details of the housing project are not ďŹ nalized but will be available in March. Anna Bauman, @annabauman2

Undergraduate Student Congress passes bill to start climate board The Undergraduate Student Congress passed a bill establishing a Campus Climate Board of Advisors, among other things, at its meeting Tuesday. The Campus Climate Board of Advisors will function as a place for various student organizations to come together with the Student Government Association leadership and discuss ways in which SGA can be more inclusive and diverse, as well as help to promote different organizations and their events, said Congress chair Kaylee Rains, who was one of the authors of the bill. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hope it will have a positive impact in our community and on our campus,â&#x20AC;? Rains said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that getting these people together and facilitating relationships will help broaden the diversity and inclusion on our campus. So once it gets started and we start seeing these effects, the impacts will be really positive.â&#x20AC;? Kennedie Akinwande, Campus Activities Council community experience coordinator and another author of the bill, said the Campus Climate Board of Advisors will be about allowing all student organizations to have their voices heard in a comfortable environment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is not a group of people who are going to be bound by rules,â&#x20AC;? Akinwande said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a very open, comfortable, casual community that will get together and talk.â&#x20AC;? Rains said various student organizations have already been reached out to for their participation. If passed by the Graduate Student Senate Feb. 5, the next goal will be to appoint a coordinator to oversee the board and start having meetings in March, she said. Congress also swore in new members and appointed new chairs for the Academic Affairs Committee and the Human Diversity Committee. For full coverage of the Tuesday meeting, visit oudaily.com. Kayla Branch, @kayla_branch

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Future architects pair with State Department OU capstone gives students chance to work for diplomacy HANNAH PIKE @h_pike_

This semester, 32 OU architecture students have the opportunity to work with the U.S. Department of State officials to research and possibly improve the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; public and private partnerships as part of a Diplomacy Lab. Architecture professor Marjorie Callahanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s class, Tools of Practice, serves as the lecture capstone for architecture and architecture landscaping seniors and graduate students. Incorporating the Diplomacy Lab into the class allows students to research global partnerships to develop case studies that will be used by state officials, specifically in the Secretaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office of Global Partnerships. Callahan said her class held a videoconference with Department of State officials Monday about its Diplomacy Lab. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am excited about this because I always like to h av e n e w a d v e n t u re s,â&#x20AC;? Callahan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been teaching this class for a while, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fun to have something new.â&#x20AC;? Diplomacy Lab is a partnership between the Department of State and faculty at different universities in which professors apply to work on projects the nation is interested in and the department awards the labs to certain professors. These professors then lead a class in which their students complete the project and work with state officials. Callahan said the Department of State chose the OU College of Architecture for the project because the partnerships it is researching deal with public spaces and technology, which are relevant subjects for architecture students. Former Secretar y of State John Kerry launched

Diplomacy Lab in 2013, and OU has completed labs in the past, Callahan said. The class is split into eight groups that will each complete a cas e study, Callahan said. They will present their first drafts via videoconference before spring break; then on April 7 they will present their final findings to the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Each semester I try to bring in something unique, so (my students) can interact w ith the outside and broaden their worlds,â&#x20AC;? Callahan said. The partnerships that the groups are researching range from American spaces in Kazakhstan to the Zoohackathon. Pa r t n e r s h i p s p e c i a l i s t Alexander Kostura, who works in the Department of State, said during the videoconference the work the students do will likely be referenced for the next decade around the world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These case studies are g o i ng to b e pa r t o f ou r training,â&#x20AC;? Kostura said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to push the issue forward throughout the department, and actually throughout the federal government, so we work with all the federal agencies, but especially within the department, to try to train our foreign officers abroad and our foreign affairs officers here on how to better engage with the private sector to get more done.â&#x20AC;? M a u r i c i o L o p e z , a rchitecture senior, said he hopes to gain insight from the course. One of the two priorities of Diplomacy Lab is to â&#x20AC;&#x153;engage the American people in the work of diplomacy,â&#x20AC;? according to its website. Lopez said that the class is reinforcing his interest in politics. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In architecture, at the end of the day, we seek to make an impact on our societies, our communities and the world at large,â&#x20AC;? Lopez said.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY WIKIPEDIA

Former Secretary of State John Kerry launched the Diplomacy Lab in 2013. Thirty-two architecture students will work with U.S. Department of State officials.

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HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last

my friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got mental illness

To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increases their chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information. Mental Illness â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Express your feelings and bring about the changes that will help you gain control over Look to the past for ideas on how to your life. DonĘźt accept undesirable proceed. Reliving experiences and results when you can have so much reviving old ideas will help you discover more. what you have to do this year to reach your goals. Personal, financial and VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You need emotional gains are within reach. to handle money wisely. Demands Express your feelings and follow your are best kept at a distance. DonĘźt fold heart. under pressure or give in to someone using persuasive tactics in an attempt AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- DonĘźt be to convince you to accept a bad deal. afraid to act fast. YouĘźll stay ahead of the competition if you take action. You LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Strive to stacan bravely make things happen. bilize your life and your relationships with others. Seek compromise if it will PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Rely on help you avoid discord or loss. Change people you know in order to drum up can be good if itĘźs made with honorable support for your projects. Honesty will intentions. help you cut through any confusion and will bring what you want and need to SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Explore the forefront. your ideas, and clear a space at home that will encourage you to engage ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- YouĘźll find in creative endeavors. Travel is best it difficult to proceed with caution. Your avoided. You will face injury or delays desire to get things done your way if you arenĘźt cautious. will lead to both opportunities and obstacles. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Bring about positive changes at home by TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You know working to promote your ideas and whatĘźs best for yourself and how you plans for a better standard of living. should proceed, so donĘźt let anyone Discipline and labor will be rewarding. dump responsibilities on you that will deter you from following through with CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Probyour plans. Avoid excess. lems while traveling or dealing with financial institutions, government agenGEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Try cies or hospitals will surface. Evaluate something new and get out and make each situation separately and say no friends with people who challenge you. to anyone or anything that doesnĘźt fit Networking functions will encouryour agenda. age you to be more innovative and entrepreneurial. Physical fitness is encouraged. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Your emotions will be difficult to deal with. Trying to change what other people do is a waste of time. Concentrate on yourself and how you handle situations.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker February 2, 2017 ACROSS 1 Build up, as a fortune 6 Palindromic band of Swedes 10 Arranged fight 14 Anti-flooding embankment 15 Messy one 16 Bonheur or Parks 17 Disdainful look 18 Game in which you rack â&#x20AC;&#x2122;em up 19 Sound made with fist-tomouth 20 Old sitcom for â&#x20AC;&#x153;usâ&#x20AC;? 23 Common city-name starter in California 24 Paying for a hard workout? 25 Girl in a barn? 28 â&#x20AC;&#x153;... best-___ plans ...â&#x20AC;? 31 They stand tall in the salty air 34 Algeria native 36 False or graven object 38 They go with thees 40 Old Henry Fonda film with advice for a â&#x20AC;&#x153;friendâ&#x20AC;? 43 Merits, as compensation 44 Far from more 45 Land of Dublin 46 Crockett and Jones 48 Work a spoon 2/2

50 â&#x20AC;&#x153;America the Beautifulâ&#x20AC;? waterway 51 Aware of the real nature of 53 Get it to go 55 Tomei film thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a favorite of â&#x20AC;&#x153;mineâ&#x20AC;? 61 Solo in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tosca,â&#x20AC;? e.g. 63 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chestnuts roasting ___ open fireâ&#x20AC;? 64 Vicinities 65 Belted out a song 66 What batting avgs. are, essentially 67 Wrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Beau ___â&#x20AC;? of literature 68 London park 69 You can find one in the bleachers 70 Walk in DOWN 1 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wait, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more!â&#x20AC;? 2 It comes down on a computer 3 Declare firmly 4 â&#x20AC;&#x153;What ___ to be the problem?â&#x20AC;? 5 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tune in for the conclusionâ&#x20AC;? story 6 Egyptian cobras 7 Amorphous shape 8 Unmannerly ones 9 Bursting magnificently into flower 10 Frictioncreating car part

11 Aahsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; partners 12 â&#x20AC;&#x153;___ as directedâ&#x20AC;? 13 Flat Scottish hat 21 Slowpoke that just creeps along 22 Speak to a crowd 25 Legendary soul singer Marvin 26 On ___ to nowhere 27 George W.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first lady 29 Musical composition evoking rural life (var.) 30 Political Robert and Elizabeth 32 Tennille and Braxton 33 One Bolivian capital 35 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Have a pleasant cruise!â&#x20AC;? 37 Tip to one side, at sea

39 Words before â&#x20AC;&#x153;doctorâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;ghostâ&#x20AC;? 41 Boy band of the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s 42 Hippieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;peaceâ&#x20AC;?-ful display 47 Exhibits improper posture, in a way 49 Lay waste to 52 1/16 pound 54 Police carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s noisemaker 55 Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;a terrible thing to wasteâ&#x20AC;? 56 ___ spell (rested) 57 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Meet Me ___ Louisâ&#x20AC;? 58 Birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home 59 Thurmond of the NBA 60 River that rises in French Flanders 61 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Evil Deadâ&#x20AC;? hero 62 Bit of sun

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ENTERTAINMENT FOR EVERYONE By Timothy E. Parker

February 2-5, 2017 •

OPINION

Audra Brulc, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/opinion

Teach-In loss will affect everyone am just the opposite. Yet we formed a bond across age divides, ideological gaps and expertise levels. I frequently think about the words of advice he left me. The speakers at the TeachIn are amazing, and learning from history is critical in the modern day. But the crowning achievement of the Teach-In is the interactions between attendees. The passing down of wisdom from old to young. The dissemination of knowledge. Through the Teach-In, Oklahoma provides a medium by which to interact with people with whom we would never come in contact. It helps to spark passions. The University of Oklahoma seeks to be a pillar of the highest forms of education, and the Teach-In exemplifies that goal. So please, to the state of Oklahoma, the University of Oklahoma donors, students, faculty and staff: Let’s find a way to bring back the Teach-In for the fall and keep this event for years to come. Keep the pioneering spirit of OU alive. We could all do well to learn from our shared history and create cross-ideological bonds in such divisive times.

Elena Thompson

elena.m.thompson-1@ou.edu @El_en_ah

Going to the the TeachIn is like Christmas. Maybe that’s nerdy — sue me. But this March, Christmas isn’t coming. Because of budget cuts, this conference, which places OU at the forefront of historical and constitutional education, is not happening. The lack of state funding for education has reared its ugly head yet again, this time moving past K-12 schools and knocking on the door of innovation. Because yes, history can be innovative and pioneering, too. Teaching our past for the sake of the future is innovative. Educating across generations is pioneering. Since 2012, The University of Oklahoma has held this event to teach the public from “Some of the Greatest Teachers in America,” and even some from outside the United States. Each spring, the Institute for the American Constitutional Heritage (an amazingly inventive and prestigious facet of OU in itself ) hosts this event, bringing in some of the most brilliant minds of historians and the public alike to speak and learn about a specific time to our shared history. Past themes have included Woodrow Wilson, World War I, the Civil War and the Western Frontier.

XIAOCHE GE/THE DAILY

Historian Peter Kastor lectures at OU’s Teach-In March 9, 2015. There will not be a 2017 teach-in due to budget cuts.

The Teach-In exemplifies the highest values that the university stands for. It connects the citizen and the state. It crosses generational and ideological divides to bring people together under a common goal, to learn — and for downright fascinating topics at that. It places OU at the forefront of community learning, and it

is a crowning achievement of this institution. Without it, we lose one of the most valuable means for students to interact both with those who have come before them and brilliant academic minds. I’m a biased political science major with a love for the Constitution, but it doesn’t just affect liberal arts majors or academics. It

affects everyone. When the opportunities for learning are stunted, we all suffer. Personally, the Teach-In has vastly impacted my education at OU. Last year, by chance, I happened to sit next to an older man, roughly 85 years old, during two lectures. In between speakers, we struck up a conversation about both of our

Elena Thompson is a lives. He told me about how political science senior and he had served as a federal guest columnist for The judge for much of his life, Daily. which was fascinating to an aspiring lawyer. He spoke about his favorite case, the The Daily welcomes letbest parts of being a judge, ters to the editor and what it took to crack it in the guest columns from the legal field. We discussed our OU community. To submit shared love for history and a letter or column, email the Constitution. He was a dailyopinion@ou.edu. lifelong conservative, and I

OU has long way to go after SAE incident Hannah Pike

hmaepike@gmail.com @h_pike_

Last week, I walked into the Disability Resource Center through the back d o o r t o a t t e n d L a u re n Whiteman’s farewell, like a frat party. W h e n my e d i t o r t o l d me the event’s location, I thought nothing of it, but as soon as I walked in, all I could think of was how it must have looked on a Friday night when it was the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house. There would have been a few boys outside the back door, and they probably would have let in a girl like me. As she went through the entry room, I imagine she would have felt a gust of heat from all the warm bodies stuffed in the house, and the smell of alcohol would overwhelm her as the music blared. But when I walked in the entry on Jan. 25, I was greeted by a pleasant OU student as cheerful people finished setting up for the farewell. The Daily photographer who was shooting the event came in a few minutes after me and stood by me as we waited for it to begin. “I forgot this was the old SAE house,” she said. I saw the pained expression of a girl who had overheard her say those three letters, so all I said was, “Yeah.” The event began with a baked potato bar, and the room quickly filled with people who greeted each other like old friends. The atmosphere was lively, and though I had never met Whiteman or most of the people there, I felt welcome, too. Then I looked around and

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

Lauren Whiteman, then-assistant director of African American Student Life, gives a speech during her going away party in front of the Bizzell Memorial Library, Jan. 25. The Disability Resource Center is the former Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house.

felt it all again. I could just see the fraternity boys in jerseys, smell the vodka in the jello shots and hear them sing that song. The video showed them singing it on a bus, but it’s hard for me to believe that’s the first place they sang it. On March 8, 2015, I was a junior in high school 434 miles away. My mother — an OU graduate — showed it to me with the look on her face she only gets when something truly horrible has happened. I knew then I would not forget it. As I stood in that room full of Black Student Association, Unheard and Delta Sigma Theta members, in addition to faculty members and other friends, the song played in my head. Here in front of me was everyone the song said would never be allowed in, I thought to myself. What a beautiful sight. Then the event began. To add some context, Whiteman decided to leave

the university because she did not agree with OU’s policies regarding African American Student Life. She felt there were too few resources and too little support. “When people decide to start doing right by you, it’s going to be because you don’t give them the option not to,” she said in her address to the attendees. The night left me with a million questions. Would anything have changed if that video had not been leaked? Would those boys still be singing that song here? Would freshmen be required to go through diversity training? Would Whiteman have been hired? Will OU provide more resources and support in the future? I don’t know the answers to these questions or all the others I have, but I do know that those boys will never sing that song here ever again.

Another thing I know is that when I started working on this column, I went back and started reading articles The Daily had written about the incident, and my roommate and suitemate sat by me and read them, too. When you search “SAE” on The Daily’s website, you get 25 pages of links to articles. The first 22 1/2 pages are articles from after that video was leaked. And the three of us sat on my bed and read one after another after another in utter silence because what happened will never be ok. Hannah Pike is a journailism freshman and news reporter for The Daily.

The Daily welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns from the OU community. To submit a letter or column, email dailyopinion@ou.edu.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC ACCESS During the Regular Meeting Of The University of Oklahoma PUBLICATIONS BOARD

9:30 a.m. Friday, February 3rd Copeland Hall, Room 146

Students, staff, faculty and others in the community are invited to express their views concerning The Oklahoma Daily or Sooner yearbook to the Publications Board.

• February 2-5, 2017

SPORTS

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

OU football gains 27 players OFFENSE

DEFENSE

New skill position players could help fill empty spaces SPENSER DAVIS @Davis_Spenser

ADDISON GUMBS

KENNEDY BROOKS

Position: Inside Linebacker Hometown: Hayward, California

Position: Running Back Hometown: Mansﬁeld, Texas

ADRIAN EALY

KENNETH MURRAY

Position: Offensive Tackle Hometown: Gonzales, Louisana

Position: Outside Linebacker Hometown: Missouri City, Texas

CEEDEE LAMB Position: Wide Receiver Hometown: Richmond, Texas

CHARLESTON GAMBO Position: Wide Receiver Hometown: Cedar Hill, Texas

LEVI DRAPER Position: Inside Linebacker Hometown: Collinsville, Oklahoma

MARCELIAS SUTTON Position: Athlete Hometown: Scranton, Pennsylvania

CHRIS ROBISON

MARQUISE BROWN

Position: Quarterback Hometown: Mesquite, Texas

Position: Wide Receiver Hometown: Valencia, California

Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops and his staff announced 27 new Sooners Wednesday afternoon, putting a stamp on one of the best recruiting classes OU has had in recent memory. The class, which is ranked No. 7 nationally by Rivals, is loaded with four-star talent on both sides of the ball. The attack is led by quarterback Chris Robison, a Mesquite, Texas, native and the No. 7 pocket passer in the country, according to 247 Composite. Oklahoma also inked several high-touted skill position players who could help alleviate the losses of Samaje Perine, Joe Mixon and Dede Westbrook. The Sooners signed three running backs in the class : four-stars Kennedy Brooks and Trey Sermon, as well as JUCO-transfer Marcelias Sutton. “Marcelias Sutton is one of the most explosive players that I’ve ever recruited or seen in person,” offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley said. At receiver, OU officially added a pair of impact true freshmen in CeeDee Lamb and Charleston Rambo, plus a speedy JUCOtransfer in Marquise Brown. “All three of those guys will make an impact next year,” Bob Stoops said of the trio. The Sooners will also have tight end Grant Calcaterra and fullback Jeremiah Hall, who have drawn comparisons to Mark Andrews and Dimitri Flowers, respectively, on campus this spring. Oklahoma shouldn’t need any help along its

ISAIAH THOMAS Position: Defensive End Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma

JUSTIN BROILES SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY

Head football coach Bob Stoops speaks during the National Signing Day conference Wednesday.

offensive line in 2017 — the Sooners return their topeight guys up front — but the Sooners signed four linemen of the future in this class: Adrian Ealy, Creed Humphrey, Marquis Hayes and Tyrese Robinson. Seven of the Sooners’ offensive signees — Robison, Sermon, Calcaterra, Humphrey, Brown, Sutton and Hall — are early enrollees. In total, OU has 11 signees already on campus this spring. “It’s great to have 11 of these guys here working,” Bob Stoops said. “It’ll give all of those guys a great advantage.” Defensively, Oklahoma hauled in a well-respected class. Headlined by its secondary, the Sooners add four-star safeties Robert Barnes and Ryan Jones to go with four-star corners Justin B ro i l e s a n d T re B ro w n and three-star corner Tre Norwood.

OU is also adding four linebackers, led by fourstars Levi Draper and Addison Gumbs. Draper is pegged as an inside lineba cke r w h i l e Gu mb s i s more likely to be a pass rusher from the outside. Oklahoma is also adding K’Jakyre Daley and Kenneth Murray, who will be looked at in both inside and outside linebacker roles according to defensive coordinator Mike Stoops. Along the defensive line, the Sooners earned signatures from four-star Isaiah Thomas and three-stars Zacchaeus McKinney, Troy James and Tyreece Lott. All-in-all, OU coaches were happy with the class they signed on Wednesday. “I feel we signed one of the best classes we’ve signed in 19 years,” Bob Stoops said.

Position: Cornerback Hometown: Oklahoma City

ROBERT BARNES Position: Safety Hometown: Southlake, Texas

RYAN JONES Position: Athlete Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Spenser Davis

davis.spenser@ou.edu

Four linebackers join team

TRE BROWN Position: Cornerback Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma

New OU recruits already working hard for Sooners DEREK PETERSON @DrPetey15

CREED HUMPHREY Position: Offensive Center Hometown: Shawnee, Oklahoma

GRANT CALCATERRA Position: Tight End Hometown:

Rancho Santa Margarita, California

JEREMIAH HALL Position: Tight End Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

K’JAKYRE DALEY Position: Outside Linebacker Hometown: West Palm Beach, Florida

MARQUIS HAYES Position: Offensive Guard Hometown: Maryland Heights, Missouri

REEVES MUNDSCHAU Position: Punter Hometown: New Braunfels, Texas

TREY SERMON Position: Running Back Hometown: Marietta, Georgia

TYRESE ROBINSON Position: Offensive Guard Hometown: McKinney, Texas Source: 247sports.com

Oklahoma had a successful afternoon on National Signing Day, finishing all of its business for the day by 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. The Sooners received all expected signatures, but the 2017 class wasn’t without loss. On Jan. 26, five-star recruit and top inside linebacker in the country Jacob Phillips decommitted from the Sooners and flipped to LSU. Phillips could have helped the Sooners immediately at a position of need, but OU coaches said Wednesday that Phillips’ flip wouldn’t hurt them as much as some may have expected. “Not much,” head coach Bob Stoops said confidently. “We had four already committed.” When all was said and done, Oklahoma had four new linebackers signed in its top 10-ranked class of 2017. Four-stars Addison Gumbs, Levi Draper and Kenneth Murray and threestar K’Jakyre Daley will join a group that already includes guys like Caleb Kelly and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. “We signed four really good linebackers,” defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said. And many of them are versatile enough to move inside or play outside. “ Ke n n e t h Mu r ray , t o me, can play inside or outside,” Stoops said. “K’Jakyre (Daley) can play inside or outside. I think Addison Gumbs is more like Obo,

TRE NORWOOD Position: Cornerback Hometown: Fort Smith, Arizona COURTESY OF 247SPORTS

Outside linebacker Kenneth Murray is one of the 26 commits to OU. According to head coach Bob Stoops, Murray can play inside or outside.

he’s a defensive end outside linebacker. Levi (Draper) is a true inside middle backer.” Stoops praised the linebacker group’s focus early on and desire to get after it, saying he can’t keep Gumbs and Murray out of his office. “Kenneth (Mur ray), Addison Gumbs, they’ve been in my office every day trying to learn and just try to take everything in,” he said. “They just have that mentality and I think it says a lot about how anxious people are by getting here this early. ... They’re excited about their opportunities, they don’t expect anything and they just want to play.” The Stoops brothers also confirmed that the team will move outside linebacker Ricky DeBerry, who registered just five tackles last season, inside to play more at the middle linebacker position. Another change that will be coming next season will be a switch from an threeman front to a four-man. “We just feel overall we’re going to do more base out of the four-man front and jump into the odd occasionally as

opposed to being primarily an odd and jumping into a four-man front,” Bob Stoops said. “We feel it will allow us to get more pressure.” Mike Stoops added that the change fits better with t h e p e r s o n n e l t hat t h e Sooners currently have on the defensive side of the ball. “It’s all about trying to fit your defense to the players you have so we’re going to try to implement more of that to more spread-out sets that are more passing situations,” he said. “We’re going to try to play both fronts as much as we can. With a young team it’s hard to do, it was hard to do a year ago, so we’re going to try to see how multiple we can be and still be effective.” With 13 guys signed on the defensive side of the ball, this 2017 class has set the bar pretty high. “I feel like we signed one of the best classes we’ve signed in 19 years,” he said. “We answered the need in all positions.” Derek Peterson

Dr.Petey15@gmail.com

TROY JAMES Position: Defensive End Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisana

TYREECE LOTT Position: Defensive Tackle Hometown: Ardmore, Oklahoma

ZACCHAEUS MCKINNEY Position: Defensive Tackle Hometown: Weatherford, Texas Source: 247sports.com

February 2-5, 2017 •

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Chloe Moores, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/a_and_e • Twitter: @OUDailyArts

Students strive to live green Using water bottles, decreasing energy among ways to help MOLLY KRUSE @mollykruse98

When disposing of waste is as easy as dumping it down the trash shoot and precooked meals are steps away in Couch Restaurants, it can be difficult for students living in residence halls to remember their environmental impact. However, students like Grace McCullough, environmental engineering freshman, believe they can make environmentally conscious choices every day. McCullough tries to live a “green lifestyle” on campus. She feels that making choices that benefit the environment is a good way for students to begin life on their own, she said. “We all can play some minor part in keeping our earth healthier. And I think students, as they first move out and start forming their own habits away from their parents, it’s important to start early,” McCullough said. Maintaining such habits can be inconvenient in residence halls, McCullough said. For instance, even though residence halls have recycling receptacles in their trash rooms, sometimes students “just toss everything in the trash because it’s inconvenient to take each individual item down,” McCullough said. “Get a recycle bin, everyone. Get a recycle bin.” Emily Remmel, an environmental studies lecturer who teaches “environmentally conscious living with the subname of water resources advocacy,” is an OU graduate who once lived in the residence halls. Refilling water bottles is

JULIA HARTH/THE DAILY

Environmental engineering freshman Grace McCullough refills her water bottle in the lobby of Walker Center, Jan. 26. McCullough tries to make environmentally conscious choices every day.

an effective way to cut down on waste, Remmel said. “The biggest thing, if I could go back and relive my years of living in a dorm room, I wouldn’t buy bottled water,” Remmel said. “I would have a refillable and reusable canteen or water bottle. Because then you’re just adding so much extra pollution in terms of plastic. ... And there’s drinking water fountains, so there’s ample opportunities to refill your water bottle and take it throughout the day, every

day.” Students can also make conscious choices about what they bring into the dorms in the first place, Remmel said. “I think just broadly speaking ... anything that you bring into the dorm, you have to throw away,” Remmel said. More than 20 pounds of food per person is wasted per month in the United States, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Additionally, Styrofoam cups take 500 years to decompose,

according to Washington University. Even though Couch Restaurants has a food digester that turns discarded food into gray water, and compostable to-go boxes are available on campus, other dining establishments may not be as eco-friendly. One smart eating choice is to bring your own “doggy bag,” Remmel said. “Any time you eat out in a restaurant ... take your own container for leftovers.”

This strategy saves leftovers, the issues they are passionate and by utilizing reusable con- about, Sherry said. “This past election and the tainers, “you’re not using that single-use Styrofoam waste 2000 election, they both show that really just goes straight to how a small amount of votes can make a big difference. ... the landfill,” Remmel said. Sitting down to eat can help Even if they’re pretty sure their students avoid Styrofoam candidate’s not going to win, packaging as well. “Take the the total vote count for their time to eat in the restaurant on candidate still gives politicians china plates and silverware,” as a whole an idea of how Rebecca Sherry, environmen- much support there is for that candidate or t a l stu d i e s lecturer, said. “Students in dorms are for that issue,” Sherry said. Cutting down on en- already a couple steps “They have a ergy usage is ahead of the average better idea of whether they another step American in living steamto an envisustainably because can roll over the ronmentalthey’re living in a rights of a ly friendly small group lifestyle. smaller space.” of citizens or “Students REBECCA SHERRY, the wishes of in dorms ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES a larger group are already a LECTURER of citizens. couple steps And that ahead of the average American in living might make them act differsustainably because they’re ently or make their legislation living in a smaller space,” at least a little bit different.” Caring for the environment Sherry said. However, some practical is important because it directly ways to decrease energy usage affects students, Sherry said. “(Students) all breathe air,” even further include giving gifts of experiences instead of Sherry said. “They all drink things, not buying T-shirts at water. They all eat food that every event and setting ther- starts out with nutrients taken mostats high in the summer from the soil.” Living an environmentally and low in the winter, Sherry conscious lifestyle is importsaid. Along with tweaking their ant for students because “it’s lifestyle choices, students important for everyone to do can also promote change things like this,” McCullough by getting involved in their said. “I think it’s really important communities. The OU and Norman communities have that we’re aware of our human many ways for students to get impact on the environment, involved, including on-cam- and just being conscious and pus student groups OUr being responsible and being Earth and Geography and good stewards of the land Environmental Sustainability is something that everyone Club, and local nonprofit should feel good about doing,” Remmel said. Earth Rebirth. Another way students can be more environmentally conscious is by voting for polMolly Kruse molly.kruse@ou.edu iticians that are going to make a difference and represent

Best of Norman coffee: Fun flavors abound Michelangelo’s on Main offers unique drink combinations MADDIE ROPER @maddieroper4

I n J a n u a r y , M i c h e l a n g e l o’s C o f f e e and Wine Bar advertised the drink “The Resolution Breaker.” The blend of caramel, coconut and cheesecake flavors is unique to the Main Street shop and guaranteed to shatter any New Year’s diet resolutions. Inside Michelangelo’s, customers can pick from a series of “Barista’s Favorites” beverages. The shop boasts nearly 25 unique flavor combinations. “ I g i ve t h e b a r i st a s a pretty open concept when it comes to making the drinks,” Michael Palermo, Michelangelo’s owner, said. Samantha Sabio, professional writing sophomore, enjoyed one of the custom drinks, “ The Patronous Charm,” during her first trip to the coffee bar Tuesday. Sabio said the barista behind the counter helped her pick a drink by asking her which flavors she likes best. “The Patronus Charm” consists of vanilla, cinnamon, hazelnut and white mocha flavors. The baristas will continue to experiment with Michelangelo’s drink of the month concept throughout the year. The shop will usually try to stick with a theme, such as a Valentine’s Day drink for the month of February, Palermo said. Paydon Walsh, human relations senior and Michelangelo’s barista, said the drink of the month provides exciting variety for the customers. However, the many flavor combinations are not the only unique

t h i n g s M i c h e l a n g e l o’s provides. “Our most popular drink is probably ‘The Bottomless Brew,’” Walsh said. For $2.77, Michelangelo’s customers can enjoy free refills on any of the brewed coffees the shop offers. Each day, Michelangelo’s brews three different roasts — one blend, one single origin and one flavored coffee, Palermo said. “Michelangelo’s has more space and free refills,” Joel Heldreth, accounting senior, said when comparing the coffee and wine bar to study spots on campus. Paler mo first opened Michelangelo’s eight years ago after moving to Norman from Denver, Colorado. He named the coffee and wine bar after the Italian artist Michelangelo out of admiration for his work, he

said. Palermo said he enjoys visiting Italy to study the artist’s paintings and sculptures. “The other reason is we kind of have similar names, so it wasn’t a bad idea,” Palermo said. In addition to being a great place for OU students, Michelangelo’s is a l s o a p l a c e o f e x p re ssion for the greater community of Norman. Every Thursday night at 7 p.m. the coffee shop hosts open mic nights. These serve as a platform for people looking to try their hand in music, Palermo said. There are only two requirements for the artists, Palermo said. First, their song cannot contain any vulgar language. Second, they must play original music — no covers allowed. The open mic nights

are always a lively way for the community to interact. Customers can hear a variety of music from country to techno to a weekly didgeridoo piece, Walsh said. The baristas also contribute to the community feeling at Michelangelo’s, Walsh said. She often admires the way her co-workers strike up conversation with customers. They make a point to ask customers about their days as well as their drink choices in order to foster a welcoming environment, Walsh said. “We are passionate about what we serve, and we are passionate about the people that come in,” Walsh said. Maddie Roper

maddieroper4@ou.edu

AMANDA KUTNOCK/THE DAILY

”The Sinner” from Michelangelo’s Coffee and Wine Bar. The shop has nearly 25 flavor combinations.

We’re moving! OU Parking Services 1332 Jenkins Ave. Norman, OK 73019

(405) 325-3311 ABOUT THE SERIES • Michelangelo’s is located at 207 E. Main St. • Michelangelo’s is open from 7 a.m. —10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. —10 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.—5 p.m. Sunday. • Read about last week’s Best Coffee of Norman pick, Gray Owl, at oudaily.com

Email parking@OU.edu Web parking.OU.edu Twitter @OUParking

Open weekdays 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Visit OU Parking Services in the new Jenkins Avenue Parking Facility beginning Monday, Feb. 6.

• February 2-5, 2017

YOU ARE INVITED! University of Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences and African and African American Studies invite you to a Public Discussion “My Life in Activism” Featuring

Harry Belafonte

Civil Rights Activist and Award-Winning Artist

Harry Belafonte has been a well-known

advocate for political and human rights causes as well as a successful singer, songwriter and actor. His passionate quest for justice led him to a long and deep commitment to the civil rights movement. Over the years, Belafonte worked with Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy and Nelson Mandela on various civil and human rights efforts. He was the driving force behind the 1985 “We Are the World” project to help people affected by war, drought and famine in Africa. The second American to be appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, he currently shares the task of tending to the needs of the children of the world and has devoted himself globally to civil and human rights issues.

7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8 Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall Catlett Music Center Complimentary and open to the public. For more information and accommodations, please contact Public Affairs at 325-3784 or email specialevents@ou.edu. Limited parking is available in the parking facility adjacent to Catlett Music Center. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo