February 11-13, 2019

W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | F E B R U A R Y 11 -13 , 2 0 19 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M

OUDAILY

The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY, IMAGES PROVIDED BY OU ATHLETICS AND UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA WESTERN HISTORY COLLECTIONS

Prentice Gautt, the first black football player at OU in 1956, is remembered for his humility and respect rather than just his football skills. Gautt’s legacy lives on at OU through the Prentice Gautt Academic Center.

PAVING THE WAY Athlete, scholar, educator: Prentice Gautt was more than just OU’s first black football player

P

rentice Gautt walked alone to the Oklahoma freshman football team bus. He had hit rock bottom.

It was 1956, and he and the Sooners were on their way back from playing in Tulsa and had stopped for dinner. When Gautt entere d the restaurant, the owner approached him and said he had to eat in the basement by himself due to the color of his skin. Not wanting to make a scene, Gautt politely went back to the bus where he would wait for his white teammates.

But Gautt was only at rock bottom for a few moments. As he walked back to the bus, he turned around to see every single one of his teammates behind him. If they couldn’t eat together, no one would eat.

“I think that story says a lot about Prentice and even more ab out his teammates,” said Gautt’s wife, Sandra. “I’m sure that businessman had a lot of fried chicken that went to waste that evening.”

Gautt, who died March 17, 2005, is often remembered for stories like the one above. He was the first black football player at the University of Oklahoma in 1956, paving the way for many African-American athletes.

But those closest to him say he never wanted to be in the spotlight or remembered for the color of his skin and athletic status. Because of his fortitude, thousands of black athletes have followed in his footsteps. Gautt’s p re s e n c e i s s t i l l f e l t t o d ay , not only in the Prentice Gautt Academic Center located inside the north end zone of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, but also in the minds of OU students and athletes as issues of racism still exist on Oklahoma’s campus.

Gautt was a man who wanted to be recognized not as a trailblazer in the game of football or as an activist, but as a man of great humility and respect. And the strength of Gautt’s legacy is that he was all of it.

“If you think of Prentice as the first black scholarship football player at OU, also think of him as one of the first to leave football, become very successful in his occupation, continuing his education by getting the highest degree and being humble

GEORGE STOIA • @GEORGESTOIA through it all,” said Professor Emeritus George Henderson, a close friend of Gautt’s.

“Prentice Gautt was my Jackie Robinson of college football. He was the ideal scholar athlete.”

"Him being the first black player ­— it wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for pioneers like him."

JOE WASHINGTON, FORMER OU RUNNING BACK

“I CAN’T TAKE ANY MORE OF THIS.” One day during Gautt’s senior season, then-head coach Bud Wilkinson unexpectedly canceled practice, instead calling everyone into the locker room. Bud Wilkinson wasn’t happy with the way some players were treating Gautt — using racial slurs behind his back — and wanted to address the team about the matter. He called for change, pointing directly at Gautt and urging his players, if they were men, to speak to Gautt face-to-face. Bud often defended Gautt after becoming one of the first coaches in college football history to give a scholarship to a black player, something he knew wouldn’t be respected until years later.

After calling out his players, Bud then left the room, leaving the players to discuss the issue among themselves. The locker room fell quiet and Gautt, embarrassed, lowered his head.

Then, one by one, players began to stand up and apologize to Gautt.

After the sixth player stood up, Gautt had heard enough.

“I can’t take any more of this,” Gautt said. “This is too much for me.”

Gautt left the locker room in tears, but nearly all the other players remained. They continued to discuss Gautt’s situation, realizing that what he was doing as an individual was bigger than football.

D a y s l a t e r, O k l a h o m a beat Army, 28-20. That team

meeting was a momentous day for Oklahoma football.

“We were all concentrated on being a good football team, and Prentice was right there with us,” said Leon Cross, who played at OU from 1957-62. “We knew the importance of standing with him ... It’s hard to say someone is perfect, but Prentice Gautt was the perfect guy for that situation.”

Jay Wilkinson, Bud’s son, remembers the first time he met Gautt. It was on the ride back from Dallas after a 19-12 loss to Texas in the 1959 Cotton Bowl. The conversation was short and of little substance, but meaningful.

Jay, a senior in high school at the time, looked up to Gautt.

He knew of the difficulties Gautt faced while playing football at Oklahoma and viewed Gautt as a man of high character and class because of them. Jay recalls his family receiving racist and profanity-laced telegrams after each game from fans wanting Gautt off the team. His dad was unfazed by the letters, knowing Gautt was facing much more adversity.

Bud’s respect and admiration of Gautt grew into a lasting friendship. The two often talked in his office about the struggles each were facing and knew the impact their on- and off-thefield relationship would have for years to come. “(Bud) took tremendous pride in the fact that the University of Oklahoma was the first school in the South to break the segregation code,” Jay said. “Dad knew that would have never happened without a person with Prentice’s character … They were a great team together.”

Gautt’s football career was exceptional. Before playing at Oklahoma, he was a standout football player at Douglas High School in Oklahoma City, becoming the first black player in Oklahoma to be an All-State selection. He became one of Bud’s all-time great fullbacks, donning the No. 38. He was a two-time All-Big 8 selection (1958, 1959) and was the 1959 Orange Bowl MVP, helping the Sooners to a 21-6 win over Syracuse. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 1960

NFL Draft and played eight years of professional football (one season in Cleveland, seven in St. Louis).

Gautt’s legacy at Oklahoma will always first be that of a football player. But it was his morals and character that led to his relationship with Bud — a relationship that has lasted a lifetime. It was the pillar for many interracial player-coach relationships at OU that followed.

And s ome of thos e came at times during egregious acts of racism on Oklahoma’s campus — the Sigma Alpha Epsilon racist chant in March 2015 and a student wearing blackface while saying a racial slur in January 2019, for example.

“It had to take a special coach and player to do that, and Prentice and Bud were the perfect pairing to break that color barrier in college football,” former Oklahoma coach Barr y Switzer said. “No player today experiences what Prentice Gautt experienced. It took a special person. There’s not many athletes that I recruited that could have done what Prentice did.

Prentice did it with grace.”

“No player today experiences what Prentice Gautt experienced. It took a special person. There’s not many athletes that I recruited that could have done what Prentice did.

Prentice did it with grace.”

BARRY SWITZER, FORMER OU FOOTBALL COACH

Bud Wilkinson and Prentice Gautt. Barry Switzer and Joe Washington. Bob Stoops and Eric Striker. Lincoln Riley and Nick Basquine. These, and many others, are the relationships that have helped shape OU football on and off the field.

“Him being the first black player — it wouldn’t have

happened if it wasn’t for pioneers like him,” said former OU running back Joe Washington.

“Without the Prentices and the Buds of the world, this would have never happened. It always amazes me that at the heart and soul of human nature is that willingness to take those extra steps to do extraordinary things.

Prentice and Bud took those steps.”

“I’M PRENTICE GAUTT, HAVEN’T WE MET SOMEWHERE BEFORE?” Gautt met his wife, Sandra, in 1969 at Missouri.

Sandra, who was studying special education at the time, recalls it being big news that Gautt was coming to Missouri to coach football. She saw him on TV and around campus. But Gautt was a former professional football player and not someone she, personally, would be interested in. Until she ran into him on the elevator.

“I’m Prentice Gautt, haven’t we met somewhere before?”

Sandra recalls Gautt saying smoothly.

“He knew he had me hooked because the elevator went up and down twice and I still hadn’t gotten off,” Sandra said. “I acted like I was too busy for him, but I wasn’t.”

This is Sandra’s favorite story of Gautt, along with the story of their first date, which came just days later and took place at a restaurant called Campfire Inn in Rocheport, Missouri. Sandra was blown away by Gautt’s politeness and strong faith, so she went on a second date to see if Gautt was as good as advertised.

The second date was an ice cream social at his local church.

And the rest is history.

Sandra remembers Gautt for that charismatic and outgoing personality he displayed on the elevator. He was never afraid to meet someone new or engage in tough discussions. He attended Missouri after he finished coaching, earning his doctorate in psychology, an achievement he had always wanted to pursue.

Sandra was drawn to his humbleness — he was never one to boast about his athletic career.

See GAUTT page 2

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• February 11-13, 2019

NEWS

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

Regent Bill Burgess dies at 62 New governor now has to fill second vacancy on board NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg

Bill Burgess, a member of the OU Board of Regents, died over the weekend, leaving two vacancies on the board to be filled by new Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Though details surrounding Burgess’s death have not been made public, many Oklahomans expressed their sorrow over the weekend.

Burgess was 62.

Burgess’s death was first reported by The Lawton Constitution, a newspaper Burgess had previously

owned and served as publisher for.

Born in Lawton, Bu rg e ss wa s t h e c ha i rman of software company Techrizon and bought The Constitution alongside his brother in 2012.

A graduate of OU’s College of Law, Burgess was appointed to the Board of Regents by then-Gov. Mary Fallin in 2014. Following news of his death, OU’s Board of Regents released a statement celebrating his service to OU. “ The members of the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, Cameron University and Rogers State University are deeply saddened by the loss of Regent Bill W. Burgess, Jr.,” the statement said. “Bill loved Oklahoma and was

both a friend and respected colleague.”

The statement said as a regent, Burgess was dedicated to the university.

“In his role as Regent since 2014, he tirelessly served the students, faculty and staff of the institutions he governed, and all understood his dedication to helping his fellow Oklahomans succeed through education,” the statement said. “Bill had a keen sense of humor and common sense. He combined those qualities with a commitment to volunteer service and leadership which he exhibited throughout his life. His leadership and friendship will be missed.”

Burgess’s life was also celebrated by members of OU’s congressional delegation,

including S en. James Lankford.

“I learned of Bill Burgess’s passing last night as I was driving through Lawton on the highway named for him.

Like that highway, Bill was such a foundational part of the Lawton community,” Lankford said in a statement. “He was a fierce defender of Lawton, a visionary for growing the community, and an endless advocate for Fort Still. I will miss his leadership and his friendship.

I pray for his family during this difficult time.”

Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole also mourned Burgess in a statement released Saturday.

“Bill was not only an extraordinary leader for Oklahoma, he was one of my closest friends and strongest

supporters,” Cole said. “We bonded immediately when we met in the 1990s. But that wasn’t unusual for Bill.

He had a gift for making and keeping friends. We relished our shared background as the offspring of career noncommissioned officers and the products of military families. And we worked tirelessly in the public arena to advance policies and leaders who we both thought would benefit our state and country.”

Burgess’s death opens up the second vacancy on the board, as the board’s former chair, Clay Bennett, recently resigned due to a battle with cancer. The vacancies must be filled by nominations by Stitt, according to Section 1.2.4 of the regents’ policy manual.

The policy also states regents appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the Oklahoma State Senate. Additionally, any appointees to the board must not be employed in connection with the universities governed by the board, i n c l u d i ng Ro g e r s St at e University and Cameron University.

Following recent incidents of racism on OU’s campus, Stitt said he’d like to see more diversity on OU’s Board of Regents. The two nominations will be the first appointments Stitt makes to the board.

Nick Hazelrigg

hazelriggn@gmail.com

IT impacted by second major round of layoffs Terminations will stabilize tuition, fees, Gallogly says NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg

O U P r e s i d e n t Ja m e s Gallogly terminated 28 employees in his second major reduction in force, mainly from OU’s information technology department, on Feb. 7.

In a statement shared with the OU community via email, Gallogly announced the layoffs would assist with tuition and fee stabilization.

An OU Info post about the

layoffs said they would save the university $2 million annually. The statement also said layoffs would take place in the landscaping department at the OU Health Sciences Center.

“We will continue to address unsustainable or inefficient costs that make OU less affordable for students and reinvest in areas like competitive salaries, graduate student fee reductions, and tuition and fee stabilization,” Gallogly wrote in the statement.

Dan Shuart, IT associate vice president for technology strategy, and Ron Fellhauer, executive director of security and risk

management, are both no longer with the university, according to a notification from OU’s email system that appears when attempting to email a former employee.

It is not clear from the notification whether those individuals have been terminated or whether they resigned.

When asked if the individuals had resigned, university spokesperson Lauren Brookey said she had no information and could not comment.

Shuart was a university employee for 10 years, according to his LinkedIn page, while Fellhauer had been with the university for

two.

The terminations in the Health Sciences Center landscaping department were mostly seasonal, Gallogly said.

Fi v e p e r s o n n e l p o s i tions assigned to OU’s HSC landscaping turf management were eliminated due to changes in the campus’ landscaping requirements, a university spokesperson said, accounting for 29 percent of the HSC’s landscaping department.

Gallogly said the landscaping department previously had landscapers yearround, but during the winter there was not much work to be done.

“All we did is level that off and then we’ll hire people at the peak,” Gallogly said.

“Every business does that.

We weren’t, and so the students were paying for a lot of those folks to sit around and wait for the summer to come or spring planting season.”

These layoffs mark the second instance of major reductions in force since Nov. 1 of last year, when Gallogly terminated 50 university staff members, mainly from OU’s landscaping department and the Office of Undergraduate Research.

Gallogly previously told The Daily in December more layoffs could be expected after the holidays.

Documents obtained by The Daily showed the university reduced expenses by $4.7 million as a result of the Nov. 1 layoffs.

“The individuals affected are our colleagues and friends,” Gallogly wrote in the statement. “This is a difficult time for the University as we attempt to work through financial challenges that could veer us off course.

Thank you for your service, support and commitment to our students.”

Nick Hazelrigg

hazelriggn@gmail.com

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February 11-13, 2019 •

Emma Keith Editor in Chief Nick Hazelrigg News Managing Editor Julia Weinhoffer Engagement Editor George Stoia Sports Editor Siandhara Bonnet Culture Editor Kayla Branch Enterprise Editor Caitlyn Epes Visual Editor Emily McPherson Copy Chief Emily Douthitt Print Editor

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PROVIDED BY THE CARIBBEAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION

The University of Oklahoma Caribbean Student Association. The student club is hoping to bring the community together and represent Caribbean culture.

OU group represents culture Caribbean Student Association creates family community ARDEN MOAD

@arden_alamoad

L a s t s e m e s t e r, t h e Caribbean Student Association began its journey as a student organization at OU, but the process has been difficult due to the small size of the Caribbean community on campus.

T h e p re s i d e n t o f t h e Caribbean Student Association, Roberto Clairmont, is a senior geophysics major from Trinidad and Tobago. He found his inspiration for establishing the organization through his involvement with the Inte r nat i o na l Ad v i s o r y Committee.

“The IAC sparked my interest in creating t h e Ca r i b b e a n Stu d e nt Association because they have so many cultural organizations,” Clairmont said. “The organizations all

have representation for students from their respective regions, but there wasn’t any real representation for Caribbean students.”

Clairmont also said while p rov i d i ng a c o m mu na l space for Caribbean students to gather is an important part of the CSA, depicting the culture authentically to those who aren’t a part of the community is also a strong focus of the organization.

Clairmont said because of its history, the Caribbean is a unique region with people from multiple backgrounds, religions and beliefs, but that its diversity often goes unnoticed by people who haven’t had the chance to experience it.

“We want to give those who want to learn about the Caribbean a genuine idea of what it’s about — it’s not just about Jamaica, sitting in the sand, the sea breeze and tourist locations. It’s much more than all that,” Clairmont said.

Garnering interest from the small Caribbean community on campus has been

difficult for the founders of the organization since previously there had not been a designated space for them all to come together and celebrate their common regional connection, Clairmont said.

“I think at first they didn’t really see the significance and importance of the association,” Clairmont said.

“It still is kind of a problem, and I think that’s because it’s such a new organization, but we have still had quite a great response from people wanting to be a part of it, especially non-Caribbean students.”

The spring semester of 2018 was when Clairmont first began looking into creating the CSA, but the organization didn’t become official until September. He spent that time reaching out to students who were interested in helping him begin the CSA. The vice president of the CSA is Christina Hamilton, a geophysics graduate student from Trinidad and Tobago.

She said she wanted to assist Clairmont in creating the

CSA because of her experiences as a Caribbean student on campus.

“When I was an undergraduate student, I didn’t have any group on campus that represented the Caribbean for me, so when Roberto approached me about starting the CSA, I really wanted to help create that space for others,” Hamilton said.

Daana Roach, a junior chemical biosciences prevet major from Barbados, is the secretary and treasurer of the CSA, and she spoke about the importance of forming a group for Caribbean students to gather. She said in Caribbean culture, family is very important, so the CSA was intended to be a version of family on campus for those from the region, as well as those interested in learning about the culture.

“Creating interest has been tricky because some people are interested in joining just because of the stereotypical party scene that the Caribbean is known for, but we want to focus more

on the cultural aspect of the region and the other things it has to offer,” Roach said.

While there are currently only 11 members of the organization and four people on the executive board, Roach said the CSA hopes to participate in more events this semester and continue growing their membership.

“Because we’re so small and just starting out, we have to focus on smaller goals and events to ensure their quality and value, but we have lots of plans for the future,” Roach said.

The founding members encouraged anyone who is interested in hearing more about the Caribbean to consider joining the CSA. “We welcome anyone who wants to learn more about the culture and experience the vibrant culture that we as Caribbean people have,” Clairmont said.

Arden Moad amoad@ou.edu

Wards 1, 7 candidates speak on issues Ward nominees cite ideas for zones with student housing DREW HUTCHINSON @drethegirl

Norman wards 1 and 7 contain nine of the city’s most popular student housing developments, and city council incumbents and candidates for these areas have cited their concerns and ideas as they campaign.

The Norman city election will be held Feb. 12.

Ward 1 city council candidates are Kate Bierman and Shon Williamson-Jennings, and Ward 7 candidates are Stephen Tyler Holman, Kyle Hurley and Kimberly Blodgett.

Wa rd 1 c o n t a i n s T h e Cottages of Norman, Crimson Park, Aspen Heights and Campus Lodge.

Ward 7 contains The Avenue of Norman, 2900 Students Apartments, The Edge, OU on-campus housing and the greek houses.

WARD 1 Bierman, the incumbent for Ward 1, said the biggest issue her ward faces is transportation. She said C ART stops about halfway between 12th and 24th on Alameda Street, which leaves Normanites in her ward with a long walk to accessible transportation.

“ B e c au s e w e hav e s o many students, because we have so many low-income families, they rely on the CART system to go where they need it to go in a timely manner,” Bierman said.

“If they have to walk more than a mile to a bus stop, that might take them 20 or 30 minutes, so that really cuts into the time they have to do other things.”

Bierman, who has lived in Norman since 2009 and coowns two dog daycare facilities, said she decided to run for reelection because many of the big issues that started during her tenure are not yet resolved.

“I have a lot of experience under my belt in my time on council,” Bierman said.

“I want Ward 1 to continue having a level of experience and understanding of city government so that I can continue to advocate for their needs.”

Bierman has drawn one competitor, WilliamsonJennings, a prevention specialist and 10-year Norman resident. WilliamsonJennings said she believes in a people-first approach to governance and wants to help the city address trauma as a community.

“Addressing trauma individually is great, but addressing it as a community means that services provided by the city are more empathic, efficient, and cost effective,” Williamson-Jennings said in

an email to The Daily.

Wi l l i a m s o n -Je n n i ng s s e r v e s o n t h e No r m a n Cultural Connections Board, and she is president of Sally’s List, an organization that strives to help elect progressive women to political office.

WARD 7 Holman, the Ward 7 incumbent, has served on city council since 2013. If he gets reelected he will be the most senior member of city council, he said.

Holman, who is the manager of The Friendly Market, said stormwater flooding is the biggest issue he has encountered in Ward 7 during his time on council. The flooding, he said, is particularly severe at the intersection of Lindsey and Elm streets.

“I’m very familiar with the issues surrounding the campus and some of those problems students deal with,” Holman said. “And flooding is definitely a big problem that affects students, whether it’s going to class or it’s going shopping or going to anything to Norman.”

Holman said he decided to seek reelection due to his experience and knowledge.

“I have a lot of institutional knowledge and a lot of knowledge of the ... history of issues the city council and the community have been dealing with for the last decade,” Holman said.

He said possessing this knowledge led him to seek reelection to help Norman during its growth.

“Norman is a growing city,” Holman said. “We’re experiencing a lot of growing pains and transition periods to becoming a bigger community.”

Holman’s two competitors for the Ward 7 seat are Hurley and Blodgett.

Hurley, a 41-year Norman resident, is the systems manager for the Norman Regional Health System emergency department. He also serves as the vice chair for Norman Rotary Club and was on the board of directors for the local Red Cross for three years.

Hurley said he’s running for the Ward 7 seat because he’s passionate about Norman and its future.

“We are all in this together and now is the time for everyone to come together,” Hurley said in an email to The Daily. “When I watch City Council meetings, I see finger pointing and divisiveness, which only fuels polarization of opinions.”

Hurley said the city budget is the biggest issue facing his ward and Norman in general.

“There are so many important projects and initiatives out there, but if the City does not balance its budget, everything else is moot,” Hurley said in the email. “According to the

City’s finance department, Norman is projected to run out of money in less than 2 years.”

Hurley said he has previously worked in business development and has learned how to unite people during his time at Norman Regional. He said he believes he’ll be an asset to city government.

Bl o dg e tt, a s i x- ye a r Norman resident and recent foster mom, teaches fourth grade at Jefferson Elementary and is a member of Professional Educators of Norman. She said she helped coordinate the specifics of last year’s teacher walkout for her workplace.

Blodgett said she would like to tackle Norman’s stormwater issue if elected, as well as make sure city council is upholding its promises to residents.

She said she decided to run for city council after the teacher walkout, for which she said her community gave great support.

“Part of me sees running as wanting to give back,” Blodgett said. “I want to be in that leadership role to where I can make sure promises are being kept, and I want to bring the community together.”

Drew Hutchinson

drew.hutchinson@ou.edu

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NEWS

• February 11-13, 2019

Research goals hard to evaluate OU may have to set benchmarks for doubling research SCOTT KIRKER @scott_kirker

As OU works toward the administration’s goal of doubling research, evaluating overall progress toward that goal may prove challenging for the OU community.

At the Board of Regents meeting Jan. 30, OU President James Gallogly said developments had been made that put the university “well on our way to achieving our goal of doubling research funding and supporting Oklahoma’s economic development climate.�

However, assessing the validity of that claim depends on how the goal to double research is defined, along with what benchmarks are used to measure progress and, ultimately, success or failure in reaching that goal.

Randall Hewes, OU’s interim vice president for research and dean of the Graduate College, said in an email to The Daily that the administration’s research goal is holistic. “I believe our goal of doubling research is intende d in the broadest sense: to double the scale and impact of OU research,�

Hewes said in the email.

Due to the wide range of subjects research is conducted over and the wide range of investigators research is conducted by, evaluating research expansion, as Hewes defines it — holistically in all facets within OU research — could require numerous benchmarks. “To truly know if we are doubling research, we will need to look at appropriate metrics for each discipline,� Hewes said in the email. “The real goal here is to double OU’s research scale and impact — to promote excellence — and we will have to be holistic and nuanced in how we measure whether we are meeting that goal.�

Hewes said some important benchmarks should include “publications, citations, performances, grant funding, awards, and plenary talks at professional conferences, among other things.�

For some members of the university community, and at other comparable universities that excel in research, research funding specifically — the benchmark that Gallogly spoke about at the Jan. 30 Board of Regents meeting — should play an important role in assessing university research expansion.

A nt h o ny Bu rg e t t, a ssistant professor in OU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said research funding is an imperfect measurement, but it does have value. “If you’re able to get the large federal grants, that, to a large extent, is a proof

AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY

A lab in the Stephenson Research Center on April 25. OU President James Gallogly is working toward the administration’s goal of doubling research.

that your research mission is being successful,� Burgett said.

That money can improve research in other ways as well, Burgett said, allowing for the hiring of more researchers and enabling more research infrastructure, equipment and capabilities.

In the past, Gallogly has pointed to the member institutions of the Association of American Universities (AAU) as a model for OU. The AAU is an organization of 62 universities with prestigious research programs. “We need to double the amount of research that we’re doing today,� Gallogly said in a press conference Aug. 16. “That’s incredibly important because at this point in time, that’s about the only thing that keeps us from being an AAU-type institution.�

The University of Kansas is one of only 34 public institutions in the AAU, according to its website.

At Kansas, federal research grants are one of the top ways the administration determines the university’s research output, according to Erinn BarcombPeterson, director of news and media relations at KU. Barcomb-Peterson said KU also considers peer recognition that its faculty receives as an important factor in judging the university’s research success.

The top way Kansas measures this recognition, Barcomb-Peterson said, is by faculty membership in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Barcomb-Peterson said federally funded competitive research support and faculty membership in the National Academies are also important measures of research success for the AAU. H e w e s s a i d re s e a rc h funding is not the only factor that should be considered. “Research dollars are

unquestionably an important factor to consider, as those funds fuel a lot of our research,� Hewes said in the email. “They support postdocs, graduate students, research equipment purchases, travel to historical archives, etc. But they aren’t the only important metric, and they are a poor measure of research and creative activity in many fields.�

Though finding perfect numbers to measure research success at the university level can be difficult, Burgett said it may be more important to focus on creating the right research infrastructure for researchers to succeed at OU. Burgett said that because OU was later than many other major state universities to focus on academic research — especially scientific, experimental research — the university doesn’t quite have full organizational support to optimally work towards more impactful research success. “Where I did my scientific training, for example, those institutions tend to have more administrative staff available for research,�

Burgett said, “(and) scientific research faculty to help

HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2019 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last If you look for change, you’ll find it. Before taking a leap of faith, you must consider the consequences. Time is on your side, so slow down and go over details and make adjustments to suit your lifestyle. Be methodical and follow your path instead of trailing someone else.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Look over an offer with skepticism. Trust in your ability, not in what someone else tells you or tries to coax you into doing. Don’t let your emotions dictate the choices you make. Facts matter.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -Don’t get angry if someone leans on you or asks for help. Consider what you can do and what you feel is fair, and strike a deal.

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.

develop and run their research programs.�

The November closure of three OU research offices left some concerned about the future of research support at OU, prompting a statement from Hewes at the time that said the closures were aimed at saving funds and providing more efficient research support.

Although these offices were closed, Hewes said the administration is exploring numerous opportunities for increasing research support for undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers.

In undergraduate research, Hewes said finding innovative methods to increase direct mentorship from faculty is crucial to success. One example is developing coursework that integrates authentic research experiences directly into curriculum. “ In my home depar tment, Biology, we have just over 40 faculty members and around 1,400 majors,�

Hewes said in the email. “While I think we can still do more one-on-one mentorship, if you do the math, there’s a point where we just can’t easily expand further.�

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -Look on the bright side of every situation you face. A positive attitude will help you find a solution. A change will encourage greater versatility.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Let your emotions and intuition lead the way. If you express your feelings and thoughts, you’ll come up with a suggestion that will be well received. Romance is featured.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Truth matters. Stick to the facts, and consult an expert who can get you up to speed if needed.

Promise only what you know you can fulfill.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- If someone makes a move or change you don’t like, react

intelligently. If you let anger take charge, you will lose ground.

Offer an alternative that is better for everyone.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You may want change, but get the approval of those affected by your plans before you charge ahead. Diplomacy and sticking to the proper channels are in your best interest.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Take a breather and have some fun.

You’ll learn much if you interact with knowledgeable people. Additional experience will improve your position.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Listen, get ready and consider the possible obstacles. Preparation will make the difference between success and failure. Ask questions and test theories before you take on a challenge.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -You’ll learn through experience and trying new things. Someone quite different from you will offer a suggestion that will take you by surprise. Romance is in the stars.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- You may know what you want, but how to get it will perplex you. Before you put your energy to work, have a feasible plan in place.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Emotional matters can be dealt with. If you start a conversation and find out what others want, you’ll know exactly how to move forward. Understanding, charm and friendly gestures will pay off.

Hewes said Cornerstone, a biology course that enables undergraduates to conduct research related to the instructor’s research, is one example of research integrated into coursework that the administration wants build off of moving forward.

For graduate students, Hewes said, the administration’s recent reduction in graduate assistant fees will improve graduate programs at OU, but the administration plans to continue to reduce fees and also to create and fund more graduate assistantships. “Because graduate assistants perform research and contribute in substantial ways to our instructional mission, our ability to recruit good students strongly influences our research impact and the quality of the undergraduate experience,� Hewes said in the email.

In comparison to students at public AAU institutions, graduate assistants face fees significantly lower than those OU graduate assistants have, Hewes said — two years ago, graduate assistant fees at OU were $4,681 compared to $1,019 at public AAU institutions.

“With the cut in fees last year, and the additional cut this year, we will have reduced graduate fees by about $1,100 per student per year, and we expect to make substantial further progress on this in future years,� Hewes said in the email. “These steps will make our graduate programs much stronger.�

Fo r p o s t d o c t o r a l r e searchers, Hewes said a first step toward more support could be to create an office they can go to for support, with some staffing dedicated to improving postdoc resources.

With efforts to increase research spanning so many categories, measuring progress toward the administration’s goal could prove difficult for the administration. Should the administration succeed in its goal in this broad sense, it could put OU among the ranks of AAU institutions such as Kansas, institutions that both Gallogly and Hewes have mentioned in comparison to OU. “We need to approach this holistically,� Hewes said in the email.

Scott Kirker stk@ou.edu

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg February 11, 2019

ACROSS 1 “The Bachelor� network 4 7UP and Sprite 9 Top story 14 Nursing garment 15 Standing tall 16 What Saint Bernards do 17 Plump stinger 19 Jules of sci-fi 20 NBA All-Star Shaquille 21 First of 13 same-named popes 23 Round Table title 24 Hammer, for one 25 First thing in the morning?

28 Drummer Starr 30 Nat ___ Wild 31 Heckling sound 33 Wine barrel trees 35 “The Nose� author Nikolai 39 Many TMZ headlines 43 Minotaur’s home 44 D-worthy 45 Repetitive condition, for short 46 Pie ___ mode 48 Boxing match division 50 Snapchat devices

2/11

55 “Sure�

58 Rage 59 Red in the middle, say 60 Dodge 61 2018 crime drama flop 63 Popular jargon ... or a hint to 17-, 25-, 39- and 50-Across 66 “Mad Men� trade, informally 67 Maya Angelou’s “And Still ___�

68 Guys 69 Robinson teammate Pee Wee 70 Frat party wraps 71 “Much ___ About Nothing�

DOWN 1 Monk’s superior 2 Pop star Mars 3 Typical Stan Lee part 4 Put on Craigslist, say 5 Settlers of Catan mineral 6 Cotillion participant, for short 7 Fast Amtrak train 8 Control the wheel 9 Ann Landers, e.g.

10 Italian for “three�

11 Oftenheadless statue 12 Like some bonds 13 Filing worker 18 Indonesian island 22 Texter’s “I’m shocked!�

25 Petri dish gel 26 Norse trickster god 27 Weaving device 29 Award for Malala Yousafzai 31 Secretly email 32 “___ the ramparts ...�

34 NASCAR additive 36 “Reward� for helping others 37 “Warcraft� brute

38 Hippie’s trip drug 40 And others: Abbr.

41 Olden days 42 Joeys’ parents, informally 47 “I finally get it!�

49 De ___ (from the top) 50 Cuban smoke 51 Eat away 52 Leave alone 53 Travel around the world?

54 Brain prefix 56 Did 5 + 6, say 57 Simple question type 60 Sheared females 62 “___ the season ...�

64 Turn quickly 65 A Gabor, when doubled

PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER

2/10 2/7

Š 2019 Andrews McMeel Universal Š 2019 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com www.upuzzles.com

“Hive Mind� by Sam Buchbinder

February 11-13, 2019 •

CULTURE

5

Siandhara Bonnet, culture editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/culture • Twitter: @OUDailyCulture

Let’s talk about (first-time) sex Co-owner of Adam & Eve gives advice for Valentine’s Day

SIANDHARA BONNET @siabon

Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of columns discussing healthy relationships and sex lives from The Daily in partnership with the Gender + Equality Center, G oddard Health Center and Norman’s Adam & Eve. Some answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Sex can be awkward.

Talking about it, asking questions, the intimate act itself. This awkwardness, though, sometimes prevents us from knowing what we need to before it happens.

The Daily spoke w ith Lennox Ryerson-Gonzalez, c o - o w n e r o f No r m a n ’s Adam & Eve, about what people should think about or need to know before having sex and how to spice it up in the bedroom.

The workers at Adam & Eve are certified sexual health associates, RyersonGonzalez said.

Valentine’s Day is coming up and people can get pretty nervous about what it means and celebration.

How would you recommend people approach the conversation about maybe having that night as the night to have sex, if they haven’t before?

That’s a complex question ... It’s as blunt as it gets.

I use a lot of analogies: if you were going to buy a car, you would ask 10,000 questions. “Is this the right car for me?” And people, it’s the same thing: “Is this the right partner for me?” ... You really have to first do a lot of introspective questioning, for lack of a better word, and find out what’s important to you as a person, what kind of partner you’re looking for ... You can go to a car lot and see this beautiful-looking car. (It could have) the right color, it’s got the right height, tires, all the bells and whistles. Then you get in, and the radio doesn’t work, the speed dial is broken, the seats have holes in them. It’s the same thing with a partner.

This is for a person who’s looking for a life partner.

Once ... everybody clicks, you can start talking about the sex part. But don’t just go all out and do everything.

Now that we’ve established that we’re compatible, how are we compatible sexually?

That is the biggest conundrum right there because let’s say the person that you’re with isn’t the most experienced. What do they know? They’re not going to tell you that they don’t know a lot because who wants to say that? “Oh, I don’t know anything. I’m not selling myself now I’ve got you hooked on my appearance ... and now you’re talking to me about sex, I’m going to sound like an idiot.

Now I’m going to start looking unattractive, no matter how cute I look.”

Once you get there, and you’re starting to see compatibility ... you can start introducing toys or intimate play without actual penetration, or anything like that. Hopefully you’re not going to regret that by the end of that experience, but now there’s a risk of one person getting attached to the other because we put so much importance to sex.

And sex is important, it really is, and a lot of people ... once somebody lets you do that, you’re like, “They love me because they let me do that,” and that may not be the case, and complications begin.

Fo r s o m e b o d y w h o’s wanting to ... try sex (on Valentine’s Day), don’t go to third base right away. Talk to that person, feel them out — not physically — to see what their thoughts are on sex, what it is they would like to do, and see if that’s even compatible with your world. Then start exploring safely with each other before you let your bodies become one.

Get toys — there’s games out there that let you be intimate with actual penetration. If you want to take it to the penetration side of things, then get a dildo or something like that where there’s no risk of somebody who doesn’t know what they’re doing ... If somebody wants to do a blowjob, get a stroker, masturbater and just do it that way.

Don’t go 100 all of a sudden.

Take it slow because that’s where you’re going to find out “this is not OK, this is OK, I like this, I didn’t.” And talk about it. Not pillow-talk talk about it, but next time you see each other just, “Hey, what did you think about that?” Just communication. Communication is key in any relationship.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY, IMAGE VIA FREEPIK.COM

”Outsourced: Let’s Talk About Sex” is the third in a series of columns discussing healthy relationships and sex lives from a collaboration between The Daily, OU’s Gender + Equality Center, Goddard Health Center and Norman’s Adam & Eve.

people, have talked about and been safe and communicated with each other, and they’re ready for penetration, what should they expect?

Mishaps is the best way I could put it. If you haven’t had sex ed or parents that taught you things, most of us learn about sex through porn ... Don’t expect too much, that’s the best way to put it. You’re going to be like a kid in the candy store: you’re going to want to try everything and anything that you might’ve seen in movies or online or read or whatever, and that’s totally fine. But don’t try to do it all at once because that’s going to make for a potential bad exper ience, and you’re going to be turned off.

Just imagine just being on the receiving end of that.

You’re like, “OK, we’ve gone through all the dating stuff and whatever, and now I’m ready for this,” and all of a sudden it’s like a bucket of water. It’s just so much coming your way, and you can’t even get your head above that water ... If you’ve talked about it and everything like that, I would just go slow.

If you’re into anal play, then do it that way, but don’t expect too much, just take it slow. Let your body tell you where it wants to go, and if it doesn’t want to go there, you need to be OK with not going there.

Remember, you’re in control of your body. Do not I f a c o u p l e , o r t w o let somebody talk you into

something ... because you don’t want to seem like the asshole and you want to be the nice person.

Good giving and game is great when you have an established relationship.

You’re good with things to go, you’re giving because you are able to give selflessly to your partner and you’re game for anything.

But it’s OK to say, “I’m not.

I didn’t like that type of thing.” Just take it slow, and I’m not talking about penetration taking it slow — it’s just subject. Whatever your mind tells you ... there (are) many things you can use in your body that you can use to penetrate somebody else that doesn’t include using your penis. Expect failure; perfection comes after practice. Perfection with a little asterisk — there’s no such thing as perfect sex.

There’s not a one-sizefits-all. A blanket statement, no, but I can say evaluate the situation before you go running into something that could potentially be negative for the both of you. Even if you’re not looking for that life partner, and you’re just two people, which is fine ... the dynamics are still kind of the same because that person has emotions and so do you. Just be responsible and be realistic. Rome was not built in one day.

We g o t a q u e s t i o n about same-gender sex and how to be safe with that. Is it the same

recommendation of taking it slow and are there other factors that should be considered?

I would definitely encourage them to come into our store, first of all. All of us are certified for sexual health. It would be based on an individual basis. If I was just to say, “This is what you need to do,” it’d be pretty much the same thing ... If you’re planning on having sex with somebody, there’s nothing wrong with saying, “Here’s my (STD/STI testing results from the health department).” If you’re going to be sharing yourself like that with somebody, I think it’d be great and responsible for both parties to have those papers.

To my same-sex brethren, it’s difficult because you’re dealing with somebody else who has possibly dealt with the same adversities. It’s not going to be as easy or trustful. If you’ve gone through some difficult relationships, that makes you very apprehensive of getting with the next person.

For the couples who’ve been together for a long time and they’re looking for something to spice things up, what would you recommend?

It is simpler than people think it is to spice things up.

Think of your normal day.

We all wake up, we have our routine in the morning. The critical moment right before you’re about to leave

for work, school, whatever, something changes in that routine, just a tiny little bit ... You go out the door, you get in your car, you’re gone (and forget your phone).

Your whole day is now destroyed because of that one little change.

It’s a ripple effect. One little thing throws your whole day off. If we apply that same mentality to the bedroom, it’s the same thing.

Change one, tiny, little thing, and I can guarantee you it’s ... a routine. You’re breaking the routine. It’s as simple as putting a blindfold on your partner.

For spicing things up and not knowing what to try, Ryerson-Gonzalez recommends the website Mojo Upgrade. The free site allows users to choose the gender and rate intimate acts on a scale of “not interested,” “if my partner is interested” and “absolutely interested.” The person’s partner also answers the questions and the website gives you the common interests. Users must be 18 or older to use the site.

Adam & Eve is located at 218 E Main St. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Siandhara Bonnet arahdnais@ou.edu

Fine Arts Diversity Council gives statement Organization reaffirms aim for inclusion, equality SAM TONKINS

@samanthatonkins

campus, but we’re specifically for the fine arts, and we just wanted to reaffirm that we are going to continue with our mission of making sure everyone is represented,” Penzkover said.

Last semester, the council hosted a panel about t h e # Me To o m ove m e nt in film and theatre with OU professors, actors and representatives from the OU Gender and Equality Center, Penzkover said.

Cur rently, Penzkover said the OU Fine Arts Diversity Council is planning a video series to highlight the work of artists of color at OU. The council is also planning an open mic night where students can express themselves.

“I would say that we are a voice for the students,” Penzkover said. “We can help students find their voices and give them a platform from which to express themselves.”

The OU Fine Arts Diversity Council issued a response on its Facebook page to the racist incidents t h a t h av e o c c u r r e d o n campus.

The council is a student-led organization that is devoted to inclusion and equality in the OU arts community.

Maddie Penzkover, acting junior, is the executive vice chair of the OU Fine Arts Diversity Council. She said the organization includes a variety of different majors and backgrounds.

Penzkover said the Facebook post was a way to let people know that the council is still working to protect students and fight for equality.

“I know there are a baSam Tonkins jillion organizations on samantha.tonkins@ou.edu

VIA OU FINE ARTS DIVERSITY COUNCIL’S FACEBOOK

The OU Fine Arts Diversity Council issued a response on its Facebook page to racist incidents that have occurred on campus.

6

• February 11-13, 2019

SPORTS GAUTT: Continued from page 1

In fact, he rarely talked about it.

“It wasn’t that he just blocked out that part of his life. He understood the significance of what he did,” Sandra said. “But he wanted be viewed as a student, teacher and mentor. He was always just being his humble self. Nothing more.”

When Barry Switzer became head coach at Oklahoma in 1973, he offered Gautt the offensive coordinator position on his staff. He had met Gautt several times on the recruiting trail and knew of his legacy at Oklahoma. Gautt respectfully turned down the offer, saying he and Sandra were happy with their positions at Missouri. Switzer knew Gautt’s heart wasn’t only in football. “ He was a g o o d fo otball coach, but he knew he would make a great a professor or teacher,” Switzer said. “And he did.”

After earning his Ph.D. in psychology and serving as an academic counselor in the Missouri athletic department, Gautt began his career in athletics

administration in the Big Eight. He started as an assistant commissioner for the Big Eight in 1979, before becoming a special assistant to the commissioner of the Big 12. Today, the conference honors Gautt with the Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship, which is given to student athletes who exemplify excellence both in athletics and in the classroom.

He ha d a p a s s i o n f o r teaching, often speaking to student athletes about the importance of using athletics as a vehicle for education. This is what George He n d e r s o n re m e mb e r s most of Gautt.

He remembers listening to OU football games on the radio while still in high school, hearing Gautt’s name as he excelled as a football player. He also remembers the first time he met Gautt, after Bud insisted the two meet shortly after Henderson arrived at OU. Gautt greeted Henderson as he did everyone: clear eye contact, a handshake with both hands and a “my brother.” Their relationship quickly grew over the years, so much so that they talked at least two to three times a week.

“He would call me and

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

say, ‘George, I wish I was you and in the classroom,’” Henderson said, who came to Norman as OU’s third black professor in 1967.

“I was amazed at his laser focus on serving youth. He, as I did, saw the possibility of sports getting us out of our communities. Not out of them in terms of commitment to them, but in terms of having other possibilities outside of sports.”

Henderson and Gautt are two of the most prominent African-American figures to grace Oklahoma’s campus. They shared the same values and personality, constantly seeking new ways to diversify OU by using their statuses to project the voices of those who couldn’t.

“It was never about Prentice Gautt. It was never about George Henderson,” Henderson said. “It was about being given a gift, whatever that gift is, and using it to help others … It wasn’t us. It was the next generation passing it to the next generation. We were passing the gauntlet.”

“I’VE COME FULL CIRCLE.” When Joe Castiglione arrived at OU in April 1998 as the school’s new athletics director, he was given the

special task of renaming the athletic academic center. One name immediately came to mind.

Prentice Gautt.

Castiglione met Gautt in the early 80s. Working in Missouri’s athletic department at the time, Castiglione worked closely with Gautt while he was the assistant commissioner of the Big Eight. Like Henderson, Castiglione was mesmerized by Gautt’s passion for teaching young p e o p l e. He, a l o ng w i t h then-OU President David Boren, thought there was no better person to name the academic center after.

“We felt it was important to not only honor his legacy, but to also help people understand, for years to come, who he is, know what he did and how much he contributed to the quality experience that many were enjoying,” Castiglione said.

“He paved the way for a lot of that.”

Castiglione recalls his first month on OU’s campus, walking into buildings and seeing Gautt’s picture hanging on the walls. He couldn’t help but smile when seeing those pictures, knowing the impact his friend had, and always will have, at Oklahoma.

“Some of the greatest

examples of people who have endured some of the most incredulous experiences, but by example showed how life should be lived — we have, or had, them here at the University of Oklahoma,” Castiglione said. “I think about Prentice Gautt. I think about Dr. George Henderson. You become a better person just by being in their presence. I always felt like I grew when talking to Prentice Gautt.

And I certainly feel that way today, too, with Dr. Henderson.”

Six years after the dedication of the academic center to Gautt, he passed away unexpectedly due to flulike symptoms. He was 67.

More than 400 people attended his funeral.

Teammates, coaches, former co-workers, community members and friends piled into First Presbyterian Church in Lawrence, Kansas, on March 22, 2005.

Sandra says a good majority of the people in attendance had no idea Gautt was a football player; they just knew him as a man who genuinely cared for others and worked to inspire passion and confidence. And that’s just how he would have wanted it.

“He never defined himself by that one part of his

life,” Sandra said, who is now retired in Lawrence after 42 combined years in education at Missouri and KU. “He was just a wonderful, wonderful human being and that reflected in everything he did during his life.”

When Gautt was honored during halftime of one of Oklahoma’s games in 1999, he thought back to when he played in Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. He thought of the racial slurs that were yelled at him and his own fans telling him he wasn’t welcome there. He thought of the time his team followed to the bus and his coach sticking up for him in the locker room.

Then he thought of the present. He looked around him, 43 years after his first step on Owen Field. He was receiving a boisterous standing ovation — an ovation that, Castiglione says, has yet to be matched at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Then, with tears in his eyes as he walked off the field, Gautt turned to Sandra with a smile.

“I’ve come full circle.”

George Stoia

georgestoia@ou.edu

Sooners fall to Raiders at home

Big 12 continues to challenge OU as end draws near CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21

No. 18 Texas Tech (19-5, 7-4 Big 12) rolled with the lead coming out of the half Saturday.

Already ahead 35-24, the Red Raiders opened up the second half with an 11-2 run and didn’t let up. Tech shot a consistent 43 percent in the first half and 41 in the second. The Sooners were 44 percent in the second half but buried themselves in a hole too deep to come out of after going into halftime 27 percent from the field and down by 11.

The Sooners, now 15-9 and 3-8 in the Big 12 after their 66-54 loss to Texas Tech at home, can’t seem to stay consistent offensively in both halves of games, and their defense lets up too early, which makes deficits too strong to come back from. “ There’s not one area that’s magic for us,” head coach L on Kruger said.

“We’ve got to rally around each other and keep battling and keep working.

The last seven games of the regular season for the Sooners will be a battle for survival. The losses this late in the season are becoming more and more destructive of OU’s NCAA Tournament h o p e s. It ’s e v e n w o r s e when the losses happen on OU’s home court.

“These games are so hard to win, the Big 12,” Texas Te ch h ea d c oa ch Ch r i s Beard said. “It’s like the old survive-and-advance when you make the tournament, that kind of reflects survive-and-advance every day in the Big 12.”

Oklahoma has yet to have visits from Texas, West Virginia and No. 11 Kansas — all of whom the Sooners have lost to this season. It’s not looking too bright for the team that went 11-1 before Januar y and has dropped off its confidence AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY Senior guard Christian James faces a defender during the game against Texas Tech Feb. 9. Sooners have seven regular season in the latter half of the season. games left to provide hope in making the NCAA Tournament.

Texas Tech now advances to No. 2 in the Big 12 and We’ve got to get a lot better. harder. Oklahoma goes showing how differently Center. is now 7-4 in the conferWe’re just not playing very to Baylor Monday, a few the Sooners react to games “ The Big 12 is tough,” ence on a 19-5 record in the good basketball relative to weeks after the Bears beat out of the conference ver- said senior guard Rashard season. the people we’re playing the Sooners in a 30-point sus games in it. The Big 12 Odomes, who finished the against. We’ve got to play rout at home, one of the is something the Sooners night with 14 points on a much better.”

Sooners’ worst losses in the can’t seem to figure out, perfect 5-5 shooting from Caleb McCourry Each loss is becoming history of the program. even at home. Oklahoma the field. “Each night we caleb.a.mccourry@ou.edu more costly as the Sooners Oklahoma’s loss to Baylor has lost to Kansas State, got to come out and fight, get closer to the end of the came right after a 31-point Baylor, No. 17 Iowa State and the past few weeks regular season. At the same w i n a g a i n s t n o n - c o n - and now No. 18 Texas Tech we haven’t done that. It’s time, their season is getting ference foe Vanderbilt, i n i t s ow n L l oyd No b l e tough.”

Texas Tech coach offers Oklahoma hope OU earns respect from Raiders coach after Sooners’ loss PARKER PRIMROSE @parker_primrose

Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard doesn’t believe the nar rative that Oklahoma’s season is dead.

Oklahoma’s (15-9, 3-8 Big 12) 66-54 loss to No. 18 Texas Tech (19-5, 7-4 Big 12) represents the team’s fourth straight loss overall and fourth double-digit loss in conference play, but despite looking like a team teetering on the edge of relevancy, Beard still believes that Oklahoma’s story isn’t finished yet.

“I know Oklahoma’s a little bit undermanned right now and dealing with some adversity, but they were

e v e r y t h i n g w e t h o u g ht they would be,” Beard said. “ No q u i t o n t hat t e a m.

Championship DNA.” Beard has seen Oklahoma at its best, as the first matchup between the Red Raiders and Oklahoma came on Jan. 8 when the then-No. 23 Sooners were still riding high on the momentum of their impressive 11-1 record in early season non-conference play.

Today, he saw the Sooners in their worst slump of the season, as they’ve dropped six games since the last time the two teams played and have fallen out of the top 25.

“They’re going through a lot of adversity,” Beard said.

“This team was in the top 25 just a couple weeks ago.

It’s what this league is. It’s a grind. If you get on a two, three game winning streak, it’s like you’ve got a chance

to win a championship. If you drop a few, you’ve just got to stay the course.”

Despite the struggles, Oklahoma still has a chance to turn its season around, as it has home games against Texas, West Virginia and a slumping No. 11 Kansas. And even if they don’t stretch this season into the tournament, Beard still believes in what they can be going forward. “ I p re d i c t O k l a h o m a will be back sooner than later,” Beard said. “There’s no quit in this team. All it is is fight. There’s a lot of championship DNA on that team, whether it be coaching staff, returning players.

Nobody respects their program more than me.”

Parker Primrose

parker.m.primrose-1@ ou.edu

AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY

Freshman guard Jamal Bieniemy changes direction during the game against Texas Tech Feb. 9.

Sooners have lost four straight games in conference play.