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PHOTOS BY PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY
The Part-Time Savants, a band made up of OU student Jack Vesper (center) and his friends, recorded an album while juggling the struggles of being full-time students. The other members attend Oklahoma State University and the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma.
FOUND THEIR SOUND Part-Time Savants produces album as full-time students “People often ask us if it is difficult to juggle between being in a band while being in college, and the simple answer is that you can make time for it as long as you’re passionate about it.” JACK VESPER, MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS JUNIOR
PART-TIME SAVANTS First album: “Latest Pickups” How to listen: Available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon MP3 and Google Music. More music videos and upcoming tour dates are available at parttimesavants.com. Source: parttimesavants.com
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K AELAN DEESE • @REDNPINKFISH
n 2011 when Mason Woodward and Jack Vesp er walke d onto the auditorium stage at Westminster School to cover Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” for a talent show, they were unaware of what their future would hold. “We had no initial thoughts of becoming a band,” Woodward said. “We were just playing for fun.” Immediately following their performance, the crowd erupted in cheers. The reaction caught them by surprise. “After that reaction, we began to consider that maybe we have something that people are willing to go out of their way to listen to,” Woodward said. It turned out to be the right decision. The middle-school band that got its start by playing covers of Journey and the Red Hot Chili Peppers became the Part-Time Savants and debuted its first album, “Latest Pickups,” at Norman’s Opolis late last month. Part-Time Savants — Keaton Klepper on drums, Woodward on guitar, Sam Shields on bass, and Vesper on keyboard and vocals — formed in 2012 and developed a blues-rock sound with a contemporary twist in a church basement, a bedroom and a garage. It includes Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys and Led Zeppelin among its musical influences. “That isn’t to discourage anyone from getting creative with genre titles,” said Vesper, now a management information systems junior at OU. “As long as you enjoy our music, we really don’t care what category we’re placed in.” The band’s debut album consists of some of its hit songs from years past and newer songs that were written for the record. The name of this LP can even be traced back to
their high school days, Shields said. “There used to be this guy in high school that was dubbed ‘latest pickups guy,’ or at least some people referred to him by that name,” Shields said. “He would always show people the latest music that he had bought from the record store, and so this title is an homage to him.” One of the group’s first performances outside of school was at Sauced on Paseo, a local pizza restaurant in Oklahoma City with a small outdoor venue that caters to local talent. “I had asked the manager how we could schedule a performance, and sure enough they had a band cancel that very same night and needed a backup. After showing them our talent show video, they agreed to let us perform,” Vesper said. “The problem was that Sam and I had a baseball game that evening. Somehow we managed to play the game, grab our instruments and make it to the venue on time. “Connections are crucial to becoming a successful band,” Vesper said. “If it weren’t for making friends with other bands, contacting venues and taking every performance opportunity we have been offered, we wouldn’t be where we’re at today.” The band slowly found more success, releasing an EP entitled “Weird Color-ado” in 2014, opening for Puddle of Mudd at the Diamond Ballroom and winning a battle of the bands competition judged by Scott Booker, manager of the Flaming Lips. After graduating from Bishop McGuiness Catholic High School in Oklahoma City, the band members scattered to three different schools: OU, Oklahoma State and UCO. For many people, being a fulltime student is enough work every
OU student found dead OKC police looking into suspicious death STAFF REPORTS
An OU student died in Oklahoma City Friday night, according to a statement from OU President David Boren. “The university family is deeply saddened by this tragic death,” Boren said in the
statement. “ The university and Oklahoma City authorities are both working to obtain information about all of the circumstances. The safety of our students is a top priority of the university. Our sympathy and prayers go out to the parents, family and friends of the student who lost his life.” Oklahoma City Police are investigating a suspicious death in which a body of a man in his
20s was found at the base of a parking garage. OKCPD Sgt. Robbie Robertson said the department found the body of a male in his late 20s at 9:50 p.m. Friday at the base of a garage on Robert S. Kerr Avenue and North Hudson Avenue. Staff Reports
dailynews@ou.edu
day to let the weekend consist of rest and relaxation. For Part-Time Savants, this free-time is a window of opportunity its members use to hone their musical abilities by carving out time to practice and record at Tulsa’s Studio Two Recording company. “People often ask us if it is difficult to juggle being in a band while being in college, and the simple answer is that you can make time for anything as long as you’re passionate about it,” Vesper said. “For anyone trying to kickstart a hobby, the simple advice is to just do it without any excuse or hesitation. There might be a time sacrifice, but the end result is worth it.” It took many weekends of traveling to and from Tulsa, Oklahoma, but the group finally finished its recording late last year. “Back in high school, practice was mainly about learning to become a rock band, which included learning our instruments, the way we play together and discussing some of our favorite musicians,” Klepper said. “Now that we have that down, our main goal each time we get together is to create an awesome performance that really connects to a live audience. Planning and scheduling can be tough with all of us being on different schedules with school, but we find the time on weekends and breaks in the semesters.” After five years of being together, the band shows no signs of slowing down. “We don’t know what the future holds,” Vesper said. “Hopefully this new record will introduce more people to us, and the next step from that is to make another one.” Kaelan Deese
kaelan.a.deese-1@ou.edu
MEET THE BAND
JACK VESPER
KEYBOARD AND VOCALS
KEATON KLEPPER DRUMS
SAM SHIELDS BASS
MASON WOODWARD
INSIDE THIS ISSUE NEWS: The effect of budget cuts on faculty and staff in the College of Education • 2 SPORTS: OU women’s basketball aims to keep up its winning streak • 5 A&E: Students bringing hip-hop dance to the OU community • 6
GUITAR
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• February 6-8, 2017
NEWS
Andrew Clark, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Incident follows march
Trump casts pick for SCOTUS judge
OUPD investigating altercation caught on video Thursday
Conservative slated to take place of late Scalia
ANDREW CLARK @Clarky_Tweets
The OU Police Department is investigating an incident that occurred during the No Ban No Wall solidarity march at OU Thursday between a demonstrator and two students not involved in the march. In a now-deleted video taken by Austen Robinson, pre-law and political science freshman, a Native student directed racial slurs and threats at a white student holding an American flag. The Native student, Jesse Robbins, human relations graduate student, called Austin McKinney, accounting senior, a “pasty immigrant,” a “white mo**********” and threatened to “whoop (his) white ass.” The 22-second video does not show whether McKinney did something to provoke Robbins’ words and does not show if McKinney retaliated after the exchange. However, another video, which was posted live on the Facebook page of C a r b o n a t e d . t v, s h o w s McKinney wearing an American flag, walking south along the east side of the South Oval before being approached by OU graduate Carey Flack recording video on a phone. O n v i d e o, Fl a c k s ay s Robinson and McKinney were “coming to terrorize the protest.” Flack and other marchers then surrounded McKinney and Robinson, who was holding a Donald Trump flag, and began to ask them questions. Flack asks why they came to the rally, and McKinney answers that he is exercising his First Amendment right. She then asks Robinson if he is OK with paying for a wall between the United States and Mexico, and he does not answer. Flack then says again that the two
ANNA BAUMAN @annabauman2
President Trump nominated conservative judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court of the United States on Jan. 31 to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Gorsuch will now meet with a judiciary committee, then the Senate will vote to confirm or reject the nomination, presidential professor of political science Justin Wert said. Wert said the Democrats have the option to filibuster the vote to block the confirmation. However, the Republicans, who hold the majority in the Senate, could choose the nuclear option to cancel the filibuster, in which case the nomination would be confirmed by a simple majority. Wert said he thinks it is possible the Republicans will decide to go nuclear, but they could face future consequences for doing so. “Of course they want their preferred nominee to get in, but here’s the thing: What if three and a half years from now we have a Democratic president and the Republicans prevented the filibuster from operating? Well then they’d be in the same position the Democrats are in now,” Wert said. If Gorsuch is confirmed as a Supreme Court justice, it will not change the political composition of the court, professor of constitutional law Rick Tepker said. “His view is essentially the same or close to the same as Justice Scalia’s,”
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
A view of the South Oval on Sunday. The area pictured is approximately where the altercation following the No Ban No Wall solidarity march occurred.
are terrorizing the protest as they continue to walk and display their flags. Later, a man with a bullhorn approaches McKinney and Robinson and says, “Trump is a racist and a bigot, and he breeds racism like you.” “You support racism if you support Trump,” he continued. “That’s not true,” Robinson responded. Further along in the video, Robinson has his Trump flag stolen and his white hat knocked off of his head by Ashley McCray of Indigenize OU. Some of the marchers celebrated after taking the flag and continued to as they followed McKinney and Robinson while they walked north down the South Oval. As they followed them, Flack asks McKinney, “How come you have more of a right to be in this country than others?” “ I n e v e r s a i d t h a t ,” McKinney responded. Eventually in the Facebook video, Robbins offers to box McKinney and/or Robinson, and says, “I’ll knock your white ass out.” The Twitter video and the Facebook video overlap at the point where you can hear Robbins tell McKinney
and Robinson to go home. After Robbins was finished, Robinson said the two parties went their separate ways with no injuries. Robinson also said two undercover police officers approached him and McKinney to let the protest pass. “We’re not trying to make it a big deal or anything, we were just a little upset,” McKinney told The Daily. “We were actually kind of stunned that it happened to us. We didn’t really know what to say. We didn’t know what to expect, we didn’t know it would be like that, especially on campus and Oklahoma being the conservative state it is.” “We were being open-minded and were being heckled,” McKinney said. Robbins told The Daily via Facebook Messenger that he overreacted and lost his temper. “I let anger get the best of me and I’m sorry I didn’t stay centered and balanced while resisting,” he said. McKinney said he and Robinson left after the confrontation. Robbins has since deleted his Facebook account. The Daily texted McCray
three times and called her three times Friday for comment, but received no response. We will update this post as more information from OUPD becomes available. Dana Branham, Jesse Pound and Daisy Creager contributed to this report. Andrew Clark
andrewclark@ou.edu
ABOUT THIS STORY The videos described in this story are available online at oudaily.com. When this story was posted online Friday night, it received considerable backlash. A letter from Daily editor Dana Branham explaining the the story’s publication is online.
Tepker said. “I think the votes that he would cast would be approximately the same as Justice Scalia’s.” Due to Gorsuch’s conservative political stance, Democrats are not pleased with the nomination. Another reason they are angry is that Republicans s t o n e w a l l e d P re s i d e n t Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland several months ago, Wert said. “ ( G o r s u c h ) p ro b a b l y shouldn’t be the nominee,” Wert said. “The nominee should’ve been nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate, and they didn’t. And that’s why Democrats are upset.” Tepker said he thinks the nomination belonged to the Republicans because they won the election. “I think they are quite correct in their outrage, but I do not think they have much political recourse because they didn’t win the election,” Tepker said. “An election has consequences.” Wert said they he thinks Gorsuch is highly qualified for the position. “He has impeccable qualifications,” Wert said. “He is as qualified as anybody else on the court right now in terms of legal pedigree, educational pedigree, his experience on not only the federal district but circuit court.” Wert said many Republicans are pleased by Trump’s pick. “I think what this does say about Trump is, he has done some very controversial things, but this is kind of, in my opinion, this is his nod or wink to the Republican party establishment that he’s on board with them, he’s on the same page with them, in some ways,” Wert said. Anna Bauman
anna.m.bauman-1@ou.edu
College of Education faculty suffer from budget cuts Dwindling funds cause lowered pay, loss of employees ANNA BAUMAN @annabauman2
Faculty and staff within the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education have taken a direct blow from significant budget cuts in recent years. “We’ve tried to spare students every chance we get,” said Lawrence Baines, associate dean for research and graduate studies. “It’s really been the faculty who’ve kind of experienced the pain. We try to keep the pain from students.” The college has seen a 14.5 percent decrease in state appropriations since fiscal year 2012, as well as a total reduction of over $1.7 million in one-time funds over the same period of time. Stacy Reeder, department chair of instructional leadership and academic curriculum, said the consistent budget cuts have been challenging. “It doesn’t feel like there’s been any reprieve from the budget cuts, or we have a year where we don’t have to absorb more cuts, so that takes a bit of a toll on people, both emotionally and I think also in our ability to accomplish our goals and the work that needs to be done on a daily basis,” Reeder said. Due to these cuts in funding, the college has lost 13 fulltime faculty since 2012, many of whom were not replaced or were replaced by adjuncts, Baines said. English education senior
AMANDA KUTNOCK/THE DAILY
English education senior Abby Krach talks about funding Wednesday. The number of staff in the college has been reduced from nine to two.
Abby Krach said she has lost many of her favorite professors in the college over the past few years. “It’s really sad because I really looked up to a lot of them as mentors; they were great people,” Krach said. “I’m in the position now where I’m needing recommendation letters. I wanted a certain professor to help me with my honors thesis and she wasn’t allowed to because she doesn’t technically work here anymore. So it’s like I’m losing a lot of my network.” Krach said the loss of experienced faculty can make the learning experience more difficult. “It’s tough when you have somebody who’s built up, they’ve taught the class a lot before and they know what works and what doesn’t,” Krach said. In addition to the loss of faculty, the number of staff has been reduced from nine to two, Reeder said. “We’re still covering the same job with fewer number
of people and no more time,” Reeder said. Baines said some of his time is taken up by work that used to be done by staff members, such as learning and using new software programs. Baines said the budget cuts have also impacted faculty pay, which he said is 15 to 20 percent lower than salaries at the majority of other Big 12 schools. “Our faculty pay is terrible,” Baines said. “We haven’t been able to raise those because of the budget. So we’re highly constrained.” In the eight years that Baines has worked at the university, he said faculty in his department have received one pay raise of 1 or 2 percent. “It was just because of President Boren’s tenacity— he insisted,” Baines said. “The money wasn’t really there, so he had to kind of get private money in order to fund this one time. But that’s unusual, if you have something like that.” Reeder said she wishes she
could compensate faculty better and thinks low faculty pay could become more of a problem in the future as funding continues to decrease. “The budget cuts have been continual or constant over the last few years, and there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel,” Reeder said. In addition to issues with the salaries of current faculty members, Reeder said recruitment of new faculty can be frustrating because the college has limited funds to offer them. “Right now, in Oklahoma, we tend to be struggling more than some other states, so that makes it harder for us to be
competitive,” Reeder said. Reeder said budget cuts have forced the college to become more resourceful in using fewer resources to support the most important aspects of the college. “I think it’s just really forced us to be creative with what we do have,” Reeder said. “In terms of things related to students and instruction, we’ve really pushed our resources towards that. We want to make sure that all of that is really strong.” For example, Reeder said the college has forgone hiring research assistants for professors and instead allocated that money toward the instruction
of students. Baines said the quality of education for students studying within the college has not suffered at all due to budget cuts. “That’s job number one,” Baines said. “If we don’t do a good job there, the whole enterprise kind of collapses. Everyone realizes that, so we scramble to do what we can — take an extra class or take an extra large class or whatever it takes to make sure the student experience is still good. If we lose that, we lose everything.” Anna Bauman
anna.m.bauman-1@ou.edu
THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA® UNIVERSITY THEATRE AND SCHOOL OF MUSIC
DON PASQUALE (In Hollywood) COMEDIC OPERA BY DONIZETTI Gaetano Donizetti, Composer *LRYDQQL 5XIƓQL DQG *DHWDQR 'RQL]HWWL, Librettists Jonathan Shames, Artistic Director and Conductor William Ferrara, Stage Director
8 p.m. Feb. 9, 10, 11 3 p.m. Feb. 12
Reynolds Performing Arts Center For tickets call (405) 325-4101. Online tickets theatre.ou.edu Advance Purchase: $10 student, $20 adult, $15 senior adult, OU employee Tickets at the door: $15 student, $30 adult. No discounts, cash/check only. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. For accommodations, please call (405) 325-4101.
February 6-8, 2017 •
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VOL. 102, NO. 38
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Andrew Clark, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Classes create biographies Professors enlist students to write about Americans KAYLA BRANCH @kayla_branch
Two OU history professors are utilizing the help of undergraduate students to write biographies about influential, historic figures in American history. Anne Hyde, OU histor y professor and newly appointed editor of the Amer ican National Biography, said she was tasked with filling in and updating profiles in the biography, which houses a collection of more than 20,000 entries, and decided to use students from two history classes to help achieve this goal. The American National Biography is a reference tool for use in school and public libraries to provide information on people whose lives have impacted the country, Hyde said. “The American National Biography asked me to do this and I said, ‘OK, but I am really busy, and how am I going to figure out someway to do this?’” Hyde said. “Well, I am teaching this new class on the American frontier, maybe—since my job is to figure out what is missing—I can do crowdsourcing and make it a group project.” Hyde said she enlisted the help of history professor Matthew Kruer, who specializes in early America, and the students in his American Colonies class to collaborate on the project, along with the students in her The Frontier After 1828 class. Though the American
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
Professor Matthew Kruer begins lecture in his American Colonies class Friday. Kruer is helping professor Anne Hyde with updating profiles in the American National Biography.
National Biography currently has more than 20,000 entries, those entries have left out diverse, historic peoples the project hopes to fill in, Kruer said. There is excitement to start the search for missing, biography-worthy figures, Kruer said. “I think it is really important to explore who are the people who made America what it is,” Kruer said. “Some of them are white and male, but a lot of them are not and are from an incredibly diverse array of backgrounds. … The stakes of the project are ultimately about telling a fuller and richer story about who Americans are.” Hyde and Kruer have divided the students in their
OU Black Law Students Association honored as regional small chapter The OU College of Law’s Black Law Students Association chapter was recognized for its fourth consecutive year as Regional Small Chapter of the Year. The award is based on chapter size and how active individual chapters are, said third-year law student and current BLSA president Stan West. Activity includes meetings, events on and off campus, community service and alumni relations, said West. The chapter, which competes in the southwest region of the United States that also includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma, strives to foster a legacy of excellence in all of its members, West said. “We understand that we’re thankful to be where we are and we want to give back, and that attitude — it’s kind of been cyclical. It hasn’t just been one group of students that have come here and done that,” said West. “I do think it breeds kind of a culture of understanding what it takes to be at another level and leaves a legacy that younger students will be eager to carry on.” The OU chapter was awarded at the Southwest Region of National Black Law Students Association convention in January. Olivia Dubcak, @olivedubbie
Advocacy group for students with disabilites to host town hall meeting A student organization that advocates on behalf of students with disabilities will host an open town hall meeting with the OU Disability Resource Center Tuesday. The meeting, which will take place Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 730 College Ave., will give students a place to vocalize their comments, concerns and suggestions so that Disability Inclusion and Awareness can share them with the University Community Center to enact change, said Katherine Hawes, industrial and systems engineering sophomore and president of DiNA. “Our goal of the town hall is to have students who have questions about the DRC, thoughts about the DRC, and things they always wanted to ask or didn’t know ... can come and finally have a space to say all these things,” Hawes said. “Most people who go to the DRC are there to take their tests, and they don’t really have the time or the staff doesn’t have the time to listen to everyone’s thoughts, and they really wish they did.” This is the first official town hall that DiNA and the DRC are co-hosting, but the two work with each other frequently, Hawes said. “What we really want to do with DiNA and with the DRC’s new space at the University Community Center is to have a place where students with disabilities and those who don’t have any, but are interested, can come together,” Hawes said. “We are always there to help (the DRC), and they are always there to help us, and it’s a very mutually beneficial type of relationship.” Hannah Pike, @h_pike_
classes into groups, where they will collectively gather more than 200 names of historic figures who are not in the biography and write biographies over some of those figures, which will have the chance to be published, Hyde said. The project, which doubles as an assignment, will count for a large portion of the students’ grade, Hyde said. “I’ll hand the whole list over to the editors at Oxford University Press who publish this and say, ‘Here is who we have found and here is what is missing,’ and turn over everything that we have written,” Hyde said. “So even if people don’t get theirs published, they will know
that they really helped push this thing forward. And for the people who do get theirs published, how cool, your name is printed.”
“I think it is really important to explore who are the people who made America what it is.” MATTHEW KRUER, HISTORY PROFESSOR
Kruer said the students will vote on the 10 best student-written biographies to submit for publication at the end of the semester. Sean Myers, creative media
production junior, is in Kruer’s American Colonies class, and said the real world impact of the project is helpful in making the hard work worth the trouble. “It is a little bit more motivation than just getting a grade and being done with it,” Myers said. “With this, we are actually going to be able to go back and look at what we did and it is gonna have an impact on future generations of kids going to school and what they learn and who they study. So it’s a big deal.” Kayla Branch
kaylabranch@ou.edu
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• February 6-8, 2017
SPORTS
Spenser Davis, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
Sooners aim to keep streak alive OU has won past eight home games, commends fans KELLI STACY @AstacyKelli
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
Junior guard Gabbi Ortiz moves the ball down court during the second half of the game against Oklahoma State Jan. 22. The Sooners won their eighth straight home game against West Virginia.
The No. 18 Sooners play We s t V i r g i n i a a t h o m e Tu e s d a y n i g h t , w h e r e they’ll look to keep their home winning streak alive. Oklahoma has won its past eight straight home games, spanning back to the beginning of December when OU beat Texas Rio Grande Valley. Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said she was unaware of the Sooners’ winning streak whenever it was mentioned. “I didn’t even know we had eight straight games,� Coa l e sa i d w h e n a ske d about the streak. “We’re so involved in the process of just not what happened yesterday but what can we do to control what happens today, but that’s awesome. I’m glad and I think our home court, obviously our fans and their energy,
helps us.� Redshirt senior Maddie Manning seconded Coale’s p ra i s e o f t h e i r f a n s f o r helping the Sooners keep their winning streak going. “ You have your crowd with you and your routine,� Manning said. “You usually have the same routine at home. A lot of times on the road you don’t know where you’re going to be at times so you’ve got to adjust a little bit. So I’d just say shooting in the gym we shoot in for practice all the time.� The Sooners’ past two home games have been a ga i n s t Iow a St at e a n d Ka n s a s. I n b o t h g a m e s Oklahoma has had four players scoring in doub l e d ig i t s. Re d s h i r t s e nior Peyton Little, junior Gabi Ortiz and Manning scored in double digi t s b o t h g a m e s . Ju n i o r Vionise Pierre Louis scored 15 points against the Cyclones, while senior Gioya Carter added 11 against the Jayhawks. Manning said the a m ou nt o f p e o p l e c o n tributing has been a key to
Team turns focus to improving heading into conference play OU basketball looks ahead to finish well after string of losses DEREK PETERSON @DrPetey15
On Saturday against Texas Tech, the Sooners began the back half of their round-robin style Big 12 schedule. And though it ended in a 77-69 road defeat, the Sooners know they can do better. T h ro u g h 1 0 c o n f e rence games this season, Oklahoma went just 2-8. The good news is that in its eight losses, four were decided by two possessions or less and the Sooners held a halftime lead in another one. The only lopsided conference loss came at the hands of No. 2 Baylor, 76-50.
NEXT GAME Opponent: West Virginia Channel: ESPN2 Time: 8 p.m. Date: Wednesday Place: Norman Source: soonersports.com
As the team is getting ready to try and navigate the grueling stretch that is Big 12 conference play, the talk is all about improving. “ Yo u t r y t o t a k e t h e things that you did well — of course they’ll make adjustments too — but you tr y to take those things you did well and do those again, and then the things you didn’t do as well you
Pressure mounts for Norman North point guard as he chooses schools Norman North point guard Trae Young will make his college decision on Feb. 16, the ďŹ ve-star recruit announced via Twitter. Young will declare his commitment to either Oklahoma, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State or Texas Tech inside the Norman North High School gymnasium at noon. Young ranks as a top-20 prospect in the class of 2017 on ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. He was the 2016 USA Today All-USA Oklahoma Player of the Year and a TRAE gold medalist on the 2016 FIBA Americas YOUNG U18 Championship team. Young made his ďŹ rst ofďŹ cial college visit with the Sooners on Sept. 16. He made an appearance at the OU Alumni Game in August and at Bedlam at the Lloyd Noble Center on Jan. 30, where the student section showed its desire for the Norman North product. John Walker, @jtw2213 PHOTO PROVIDED BY 247SPORTS
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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.
tr y to improve on that,� Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger said. “Second time around there’s always a chance to try to repeat good stuff and eliminate the bad stuff.� O n e o f t h e S o o n e r s’ two league victories came against the Red Raiders, and it was one of the team’s more impressive all-around efforts — an 84-75 win in which four players scored in double-figures and sophomore Rashard Odomes exploded for a career-high 24 points. Khadeem Lattin, who broke a stretch of nine straight games w ithout being in double-digits against Tech, said the win feels like “forever ago� and that the team is preparing a bit differently this time around, focusing more on its mental preparation.
Even though the Sooners won’t be meeting any fresh faces over the next eight games, they’re not looking at that as an advantage but rather a challenge. “ You know, all teams have the same advantage and disadvantage,� Kruger said. “(You’re) more familiar with each other, there’s fewer surprises, sometimes scoring goes down a little bit and it’s harder to score buckets, but every team has an equal advantage.� After all the heartbreaking losses, Lattin said they’re ready to finish. “We learned some tendencies and we know what some teams like to do late,� he said. “We’re ready to kind of finish the games like we’re supposed to.� Derek Peterson
Dr.Petey15@gmail.com
HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2017, Newspaper Enterprise Assn. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2017 Seriously consider a physical change that will make your life easier and more conducive to achieving your goals. ItĘźs up to you to embrace what makes you happiest and brings you the greatest satisfaction. Make a point to live life your way.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Express how you feel and let others know what you want to see happen. Once youĘźve established your intentions, you can successfully take action. Aim to fulfill your dreams. Celebrate your accomplishment with someone you love.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- DonĘźt argue, as it will deter you from focusing AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Trust and on whatĘźs really important. Take care believe in your knowledge and abilities. of your medical, financial and legal Turn your home into your personal affairs personally. Rely on your intelsanctuary and share everything with ligence and insight. the ones you love. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Open up PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Be careful about the way you feel and what your when dealing with peers, relatives intentions are regarding important or anyone who is likely to cause you relationships. Changes can be made grief. DonĘźt share secrets or personal if everyone is in agreement. Seek a information. Concentrate on creative compromise that is fair and just. endeavors and personal gains. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- With ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Take the creative conjecture, you will find a initiative to finish what you start and worthwhile solution for any situation. keep moving forward. DonĘźt worry Your ability to get results will be about what others do or say. Follow dependent on how you treat others. your heart and do things on your own terms. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- ItĘźs time to make alterations to your TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- YouĘźll do lifestyle or methods. If you engage best if you stick to basics and take care in activities that are spontaneous and of your responsibilities personally. challenging, an interesting encounter DonĘźt take on chores that donĘźt belong will develop. to you or make unnecessary changes. Impulsive reactions will lead to trouble. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- When faced with a discrepancy, address issues GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Rely on conservatively. Refuse to get worked up your experience to help you decipher or show signs of weakness. Impulsive what others are doing or what they action will have multiple effects on the want or expect from you. DonĘźt hesitate outcome. to be open about the way you feel. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- DonĘźt worry about what everyone else is doing. Mind your own business and work toward your goals. Keep your impulses in check so you arenĘźt tempted to do something you shouldnĘźt.
Oklahoma’s success. “ I t ’s s o i m p o r t a n t ,� Manning said. “It’s hard to guard when you have four people scoring in double digits. A lot of times teams have a couple players that you can lock down, and when you have so many players producing it’s hard for them. But that’s just a matter of our rhythm and cadence that we’ve been playing with.� The Sooners are becoming more comfortable playing as a team, Coale said. “I think balance is one of our greatest assets,� Coale said. “I think more and more our guys are feeling confident in how they fit with one another, and so that’s a big part of the reason for the balance that we’ve seen lately.� The Sooners will look to keep their balance and their home winning s t r e a k g o i n g a t 7 p. m . Tuesday night against the Mountaineers. Kelli Stacy
kelliastacy@ou.edu
Stay connected with The Daily Follow @OUDaily for breaking news and campus info
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$550/mo! Walk to OU! 2bd, 2 blocks from Sarkey’s Energy Center. Carpet, blinds, NEW CH/A, appliances, W/D DW: Call 203-3493
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Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker February 6, 2017
ACROSS 1 Billy Preston wore one 5 Evaluated and graded 10 After-bath wear 14 Pig’s meal 15 Shake off 16 River flowing to the Caspian Sea 17 Military order (with “at�) 18 The late Castro 19 Kunis of TV and film 20 Be the worst kind of sentry 23 More like the driven snow 24 Arm bones 25 Course that features weaving? 28 David Bowie hit 30 Hawaiian dance 31 Tuscan city 33 New member of society, informally 36 Not even a little hazy 40 Beautiful thing in a setting 41 Watch bearer 42 Unit to plow, often 43 Not shallow 44 Enjoying Muzak, often 46 Split hairs 49 Electrical capacitance measure
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51 Where you draw the line in negotiations 57 “Null� companion 58 Permanent setting? 59 Accomplished 60 Better but barely? 61 Part of an antler 62 Required bet, in poker 63 Mane places? 64 Things for the choir 65 Common tackle box item DOWN 1 Way out amidst the waves 2 Love handles, e.g. 3 Sub ___ (in confidence) 4 Like some houses or offices 5 Do-gooder’s goal 6 Flared-out dress style 7 England-inspired house style 8 Adam’s garden 9 Drop by order of an editor 10 Make unkempt 11 Belted hunter of the sky
12 Model wood 13 Bring joy to 21 Performing couple 22 “Poison� shrub 25 Carpet choice 26 Garage job completed in a Jiffy? 27 Grad 28 Sensed 29 “___ port in a storm� 31 Quick cut with scissors 32 Neutral possessive 33 Art ___ (architecture style) 34 Countess’s counterpart 35 Developed, as racehorses 37 Reside 38 “Rules-rules� link
39 Hoity-toity 43 Digital watch components 44 Circular rubber gaskets 45 Bobbsey girl 46 Yielded (with “in�) 47 “Humble� residence 48 Double-digit display of peace? 49 Big-time criminal 50 Mingling with 52 Stampselling org. 53 Luau root 54 Not quite stereo 55 “Come ___ me, all ye that labor ...� 56 Mousy or timid
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
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3-PACK By Timothy E. Parker
February 6-8, 2017 •
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
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Chloe Moores, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/a_and_e • Twitter: @OUDailyArts
Obstacles found in club-making Student desires a new hip-hop dance organization ROBYN CRAIG @robyncraig21
When Neal Helfrey, social work junior, transferred to O U from Jamestow n Community College in New York, he was hoping to find a hip-hop dance club to join. He learned that OU did not have a hip-hop dance club for him to join and did not have many dance clubs in general. OU currently only has six registered clubs on campus: the Latin Dance Club, the Sooner Ballroom Dance Club, Precision Dance Team, Crimson Contemporary, the Essence Dance Team and the newly revived Swing Dance Club. “Personally, I’m always a fan of more modern hip-hop style dance. It’s what I grew up with in my hometown,” Helfrey said. This left Helfrey with only three club options: the Latin Dance Club, the Sooner Ballroom Dance Club or the Swing Dance Club. He decided on the Latin Dance Club, which he enjoys, but he still wishes there was a dance club for his specific style, he said. When students can’t find the dance group they are looking for on campus, it can cause some students to search for dance studios in Norman or commute to Oklahoma City for a variety of dance classes. Joy D ouglas, mo dern dance and performance sophomore, does not mind finding studios to dance for in Oklahoma City. “I usually dance in
FINLEA BAXTER/THE DAILY
Junior communications major A’Jahna (AJ) Chapman corrects fellow dancers’ technique during a team practice, Thursday. Chapman and the other women are members of Precision Dance Team, a campus organization dedicated to styles of dance traditionally associated with Africa and the Carribbean.
Oklahoma City since that’s where I’m from. I know the studios there, and it’s easier access. When I’m not here, I’m at home,” Douglas said. Douglas appreciates the wide range of classes available in Oklahoma City, she said. “There’s a lot of different types of dance studios in Oklahoma City. There’s a lot of pre-professional training and there’s ‘for fun’ dance studios. Most studios have something for everybody because studios want adults to come, too,” Douglas said. However, on a college student budget, students like Helfrey would rather dance for free on campus, he said. “I really don’t want to travel to OKC . I have a
college-student-type budget; I don’t want to spend the gas money,” Helfrey said. “If it charges, then it’s not for me.” Like Helfrey, James Honea, film and media studies freshman, enjoys the Sooner Ballroom Dance Club classes because it is free. “Since I can’t quite afford dance classes outside of town, it’s easier to take them here,” said Honea. Instead of just waiting for a hip-hop club to appear on campus, Helfrey decided to take action. In spring 2016, Helfrey attempted to start a hip-hop club for himself and other interested students. “Just something where we could meet for like two hours a week or something. Go over some different moves. Like do
stretches, body movements that sort of thing,” Helfrey said. Helfrey found starting a new club or organization on campus is “a long process” for one student to begin alone, he said. “In order to start a club, you have to have a constitution. You have to find an academic adviser. You have to find an instructor,” Helfrey said. “There’s a lot of steps you have to take and a lot of red tape you have to go around in order to start an organization at OU.” Helfrey faced the challenge of finding an instructor who could dedicate his or her time to the club without additional costs, he said. “Most instructors are too
busy. I found some information about someone in the dance and (African American Studies) departments. Those were two people that I was told might be able to teach it, but when I contacted them both were both very busy individuals and they would charge,” Helfrey said. Like the Latin Dance Club, the hip-hop club $25 membership fee would have contributed toward the payment for an instructor. After realizing that finding an instructor would be a challenge, Helfrey’s next obstacle was finding an academic adviser, which was just as much of a challenge, he said. “I mean (an adviser) really wouldn’t have to do anything, just sign some papers maybe send out an OUMM or something like that, but still all of the instructors usually have a lot of stuff on their plate already,” Helfrey said. Peyavali Hashipala, energy management senior and Precision Dance Team member, understands the importance of having a dance club to turn to on campus. “It’s great dancing with other people who have a passion for it. Sometimes you just need a stress reliever. When you come here, let it go, leave all of your problems outside that door,” Hashipala said. The team is more than just a group of girls with the common interest of dance. The girls are currently preparing for multiple upcoming performances, as choreographer A’Jahna Chapman said the group is now official. “People are requesting us to do stuff. We’re so busy this spring, it’s ridiculous,” Chapman said. “From Black Girls Rock, a dance workshop for BSA, Soonerthon,
Stompdown and volunteering for the Boys and Girls club. We have a lot of cool stuff lined up.” During a Precision Dance Team practice, the atmosphere is filled with laughs as Chapman helps the women learn the new moves. The room is filled with cheers as each woman executes the routine from start to finish. The support of each member is clear, and it does not stop in practice. “All of the personalities just makes the team extremely fun. The girls are just amazing, and we all hang out outside of practice. It’s just a lot of fun,” Mackenzie Gray, biology sophomore and member, said. The club itself focuses more on creating friendships and working together versus just forming a group that comes to dance twice a week. This was the focus and goal for Helfrey and his hip-hop club. “Every place I danced back home, it was always a tightknit group. We would always bring more people in get more relationships, go out, have fun together,” Helfrey said. Helfrey continues to dance with the Latin Dance Club to remain involved and keep dancing. Despite the roadblocks he has faced, he has not given up on starting a hiphop dance club, he said. “If I had some more support, other people, then it would be something I would be interested trying to start up again,” he said. Robyn Craig
robyn.craig04@gmail.com
Oscar review: ‘Manchester by Magazine creates the Sea’ tells struggle of coping bilingual affiliate Maddie Roper
maddieroper4@ou.edu @maddieroper4
With stunning visuals and gruelingly honest writing, Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by the Sea” tells the story of unspeakable trauma and chronic coping. The film has garnered six Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay. “Manchester by the Sea” centers on janitor Lee Chandler, played by Casey Affleck, who works in Quincy, Massachusetts. Chandler leads a lonely life of unclogging toilets and changing lightbulbs until he learns his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler), died after a long battle with congestive heart failure. Lee must return to his titular hometown, Manchester, in order to plan a funeral and care for his adolescent nephew, Patrick, played by Lucas Hedges. As Lee spends time in oceanfront Manchester learning to parent Patrick, neighbors begin to whisper, “So that’s the Lee Chandler.” Through these little hints and eerie flashbacks, the film slowly reveals a prior tragic accident that haunts Lee every day of his life. Memories of his past intertwine with his present, burying Lee in guilt, horror and doubt about his own capability to look after his nephew. While the tragedy strikes
PROVIDED BY IMDB
Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by the Sea” has six Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay.
audiences with a horrifying reality, the true conflict of the film is found in the turbulent relationship between Lee and Patrick. They attempt to communicate and comfort each other without appearing too sensitive or emotional. The fight between masculinity and vulnerability is the film’s true cornerstone. To circumnavigate their true feelings, the men use wit and anger to cope with their tragedies. The script, written by Kenneth Lonergan, supplies dry comic relief, as the uncle and nephew banter back and forth over living in Manchester or Quincy,
selling or keeping the family boat, and Patrick’s sexual triumphs within their small town. The precise weaving of humor throughout the screenplay keeps the exceedingly somber film afloat. Without Lonergan’s keen sense of when to use his clever wit, the film would resemble a nightmare instead of a cathartic story about people learning to cope. In addition, the stunning visuals of the Atlantic Ocean and snowy neighborhoods of Manchester foil the film’s heavy subject matter. The use of simple imagery and careful shots
cements the film’s position among cinematic greats. While the Academy received much criticism over its Best Actor nod to Affleck, it is impossible to deny his talent and commitment to the film. From the moments of silence he takes to mourn his brother in the morgue to the smart quips he directs at his nephew, Affleck embodies a man who tries to overcome his grief while hanging on to his memories. Affleck’s best scene is no doubt the confrontation between him and his ex-wife, Randi (Michelle Williams). Randi tearfully apologizes to Lee and encourages him to lean on her during his move back to Manchester. Lee, struggling to hold back his emotions, shakes his head until he finally tells her, “There’s nothing there.” Affleck skillfully oscillates between silence, horror and courage in a way that tactfully and truthfully portrays male stigmas against grief and sentimentality. Lonergan’s film ends abruptly, leaving something to be desired. “Manchester by the Sea” leaves audiences with unanswered questions and unabsolved emotions, but perhaps the open-endedness is the film’s message. Grief doesn’t end when the credits roll and the lights go down. Instead, it is a constant evolution of anguish and acceptance. The Academy Awards will take place Feb. 26. Maddie Roper is a professional writing sophomore and an arts & entertainment reporter for The Daily.
Literary publication adds quarterly Latin American element ALLISON WEINTRAUB @AllieFrances12
OU’s World Literature Today magazine announced Jan. 31 the development of a new publication: a completely bilingual, quarterly online publication entitled Latin American Literature Today. Latin American Literature Today will publish translated material from World Literature Today as well as original content This is not the first bilingual collaboration World Literature Today has worked on. It collaborated with Beijing Normal University in 2009 to publish an annual Chinese edition alongside a biannual journal entitled Chinese Literature Today “As an affiliate of WLT, Latin American Literature Today represents a vital new extension of our mission to keep a finger on the pulse of contemporary international writing,” Daniel Simon, assistant director and editor in chief of World Literature Today, wrote in an announcement on the magazine’s website.
The first issue of Latin American Literature Today will feature a special dossier over Ricardo Piglia, an Argentine author, according to the announcement. Marcelo Rioseco, assistant professor of 20th and 22nd century Latin American literature, will head the project as editor in chief. “This is particularly exciting for us because of the vast audience of Spanish speakers in the Americas today, over 400 million, and we have exciting plans to reach as many of those readers as possible,” Robert Con Davis-Undiano, World Literature Today’s executive director and Neustadt professor, said in a video interview. Students are encouraged to participate in Latin American Literature Today by enrolling in SPAN 4970, SPAN 4990, or SPAN 3980 through the OU Honors College. Graduate students in the Department o f M o d e r n L a n g u a g e s, Literatures, and Linguistics should contact the Latin American Literature Today editorial team at lalt@ou.edu. Allison Weintraub
allison.weintraub@ou.edu
my friend’s got mental illness
To a friend with mental illness, your caring and understanding greatly increases their chance of recovery. Visit whatadifference.samhsa.gov for more information. Mental Illness – What a difference a friend makes.
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• February 6-8, 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