W E E K E N D E D I T I O N | M A R C H 9 -12 , 2 0 17 | 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
For 100 years, the student voice of the University of Oklahoma
A NEW CHAPTER FEMINIST ART FOR A CAUSE • 6
Striker returns to lead OU off football field GEORGE STOIA • @GEORGESTOIA
A
SPENSER DAVIS • @DAVIS_SPENSER
ll Eric Striker has ever wanted to do was make a difference. A two-year captain at both Armwood High School in Florida and at Oklahoma, Striker was a standout linebacker. He’s best known for leading the Sooners to an upset victory over Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl and powering OU’s defense to a College Football Playoff appearance in 2015. But, now a year removed from the game, it’s his contributions off the field that continue to live on. Two years after the Sigma Alpha Epsilon video that rocked OU’s campus and nearly broke the football locker room, Striker sits in an office in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, still looking to make that difference.
“I want to leave the world with people knowing that I stood for something. But I’m hoping that I truly inspire a lot of people, not just my voice but a walking example.” ERIC STRIKER, GRADUATE ASSISTANT IN OU STUDENT LIFE
T
hat period sparked a passion for activism and social justice issues within Striker. “I want to leave the world with people knowing that I stood for something,” Striker said. “But I’m hoping that I truly inspire a lot of people, not just my voice but a walking example.” In January, Striker was hired as a graduate assistant in Student Life at OU and is working on his master’s degree in adult and higher education — something he thinks will open doors for himself down the line. In the meantime, he hopes to foster communication among students on social justice issues. “Obviously I want to get my master’s, but also while I’m here, I do want to bring the campus together,” Striker said. “Because I do feel we’ve come a way, but I feel like we’ve got some more things to do as far as student life and campus life that can help better the whole environment.” Shortly after he was hired by Student Life, Professor Emeritus George Henderson — who has spent the last 50 years at OU as a racial pioneer and leader for the black community — spoke to Striker about his opportunity. “I told him, ‘it’s your turn now,’” said Henderson, who established the Human Relations department at OU and was the first black man to own a home in Norman. “It’s (Striker’s) turn to pick up the gauntlet and move the agenda forward if that’s what (he wants) to do.”
Striker started on this path on March 8, 2015, the evening the SAE video became public. Just before midnight, Striker posted an expletive-laced video — he later apologized for his profanity — on Snapchat expressing his raw emotions, decrying the racial resentment he had felt on campus. Two days later, a more-subdued Striker appeared on CNN, representing all athletes at OU, regardless of sport or race. His poise caught the eye of his future boss, Quy Nguyen, who heads up Student Life at OU.
“It’s (Striker’s) turn to pick up the gauntlet and move the agenda forward if that’s what (he wants) to do.” GEORGE HENDERSON, PROFESSOR EMERITUS
“I think it came at a time when he could have remained quiet,” Nguyen said. “And I really appreciate him because he spoke up. He wanted to make himself heard. But then he also included people, it wasn’t just ‘Eric Striker.’ I think what he did so incredibly well was getting the athletic department on board to where they felt unified, no matter what you look like or what you did.” For Striker, having people focused on his words and actions was
nothing new. “It seems to be throughout my life, whether that was middle school, high school, or even here, for some reason I seem to be the guy that is the one to speak out,” Striker said. “I seem to be that guy that my peers and my classmates see as the guy to rally around and say, ‘Hey you are the voice.’” LEADERSHIP Nearly a decade ago, inside a Tampa, Florida, middle school, Striker first discovered he had a unique presence — whether he wanted it or not. It was his eighth grade language arts teacher, Ardra Daniels, who broke the news. “We kept telling him, ‘You can be a leader in so many ways,’” said Daniels, who is in her 15th year of teaching at Progress Village Middle Magnet. Striker recalled the conversation vividly. “‘When you come into class, if you’re loud and rowdy and you’re being a goofball, do you notice the whole class is doing that? But when you come in ready to focus, and really want to learn, you see the impact that you have on the class,’” Striker recalled her telling him. “And before that moment, I never knew that.” “That was the moment where I said, ‘I really am (a leader).’” Striker utilized that gift to unify student athletes in the days and weeks after SAE. He decided to speak up not only as an athlete but
as a human being. “We’re not going to be what people define us as athletes — play football, do your sport and keep your mouth shut,” Striker said. “That’s kind of asinine to me. We’re human beings too. We have family members. We have people back home, and we deal with these things on a daily basis all the time.” But even now that his football days are over, his message is still the same. “At the end of the day, we’re all people and we’ve all got love for each other,” he said. “I wanted to be defined as Eric Striker. I want you to get to know me for who I am. I didn’t want for you to glorify me for the things I did on the field, because there’s numerous guys who can do those great things on the field. But who am I off the field? Am I an A-hole to you? Define me by my character and not by what I do on the field. “All I’m saying is, I’m just a human being. I’m no better than the next person. But I realize the status that the football players have, this pedestal.” Striker has already left a lasting influence once before — his photo still has a place on the “Wall of Fame” in the Progress Village Middle Magnet guidance office. “He’s been one of the great ones to come through,” Daniels said. But that wasn’t her favorite memory of Striker, even if it was the most
STRIKER’S CAREER STATISTICS Individual tackles: 117 Total tackles: 191 Tackles for loss: 46.5 Sacks: 23 Career interceptions: 1 Source: SoonerSports.com
ABOVE LEFT: Then-linebacker Eric Striker celebrates with Oklahoma fans following a victory over Baylor Nov. 14, 2015 at McLane Stadium. (Scott Hiney/The Daily)
THANT AUNG/THE DAILY
Charles Tapper, Trevor Knight and Eric Striker walk out during what was scheduled to be an open practice March 9, 2015. Athletes walked out of practice wearing all black after the racist SAE video surfaced online.
ABOVE RIGHT: Graduate assistant Eric Striker poses for a photo in his office in Student Life Tuesday. Striker graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science. (Siandhara Bonnet/The Daily)
impactful. “I think my favorite one was the day that he hugged me and just said, ‘Thank you for believing in me and not giving up on me,’” she recalled. “And that was right before he went to college. ... I think that’s why I’m in education. I can see further down the road sometimes, and young people don’t always know. “I’m just proud of him.” LEGACY It’s unknown where Striker’s journey will head next — whether that’s in Oklahoma or somewhere else — but his vision is clear. “I want to be in a position to help bring a change in a positive way, help educate kids, try to help give them what they need, the knowledge to have a understanding to be successful, I guess, as a long term goal,” he said. As Striker steps down from the “pedestal” of being an Oklahoma football player, he’ll get to practice what he preaches. “Football was great and I love the game, but I’m still a human being,” he said. “I just want people to see me as just like everybody else. Fighting for the same things … I’m not different because I put the Sooners (uniform) on on Saturday and go out there and ball out and I’m on ESPN, so what? That don’t mean nothing. I love the game, I played the game, but that don’t mean that I’m separate.” Striker is after something much greater than success on the gridiron — he aspires to leave a legacy that will be remembered for generations. “I would want people to say, ‘He inspired a lot of us, he stood for something.’ Kind of the ways I think about Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King, all these great, great people that came before us that stood for people,” Striker said. “I’ll be happy that my kids, when they’re coming up, say, ‘Daddy stood for something.’ With these issues going on, what did I do? I’m just somebody who’s trying to help. I want it to be known that I stood for something.” George Stoia
george.s.stoia-1@ou.edu
Spenser Davis
davis.spenser@ou.edu
2
• March 9-12, 2017
NEWS
Andrew Clark, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Early retirement incentive program approved by OU Board of Regents
SHANE BYLER/THE DAILY
The CVS on Campus Corner March 6. The store will close March 25.
Nearby CVS to close CLOSE-BY ALTERNATIVES With CVS on Campus Corner closing, students have other options for getting their prescriptions filled nearby. The OU pharmacy inside Goddard Health Center allows students to fill and transfer outside prescriptions. The next nearest CVS is 1.2 miles from campus at the intersection of Main Street and Flood Avenue. A Walgreens is located at the same intersection.
Campus Corner pharmacy to shut its doors March 25 SHANE BYLER @slbyler
The CVS on Campus Corner is set to close in late March. C V S c a s h i e r Vi c t o r i a Inman said the store will close its doors March 25 due to lack of business and therefore an inability to afford rent. The next closest off-campus pharmacies to campus are the CVS and Walgreens both located at the intersection of Flood Avenue
and Main Street, 1.2 miles away, and a CVS at 1100 E. Lindsey St., 1.3 miles from campus. OU students can also fill prescriptions at the OU pharmacy inside Goddard Health Center. The chain is closing 70 stores nationwide in a $265 million-saving measure, according to the Chain Store Age. Inman said the Campus Corner location is the only one in Norman that is closing. CVS is the latest in a series of Campus Corner staples to close, following Cafe Plaid, Crooked Crust and Pita Pit in 2015 and Chimy’s at the end of 2016. Inman, who said she has
worked at the location for eight months, said she was told of the decision to close about a month ago. “When they told me, I wasn’t surprised,” Inman said. Much of the customer base of the location includes employees at nearby businesses buying snacks and others buying beer, and there has been a lack of business, Inman said. Inman said most of the store’s products will be packaged and shipped to other locations. Shane Byler
shane.l.byler-1@ou.edu
Study invites citizens to find ribbet-ing amphibian data Free kits provide hands-on learning to state classrooms SHANE BYLER @slbyler
For the second year in a row, OU researchers will e m p l oy re s i d e nt s f ro m around Oklahoma to collect data for the state’s first major study on amphibian pathogens. The lab, which is run by Cameron Siler, assistant curator of herpetology for the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, is part of the museum. The Oklahoma Infectious Disease Citizen Science Project was initiated in spring 2016 and supplies genetic sample collection kits to the public in order to retrieve more data than lab members can collect alone. Si l e r s a i d t h e c i t i z e n s cience proje ct targ ets Oklahoma educators to reach a large audience and raise awareness of transferable amphibian diseases. “We’ve kind of developed this study as a way to get additional data from sites that we can’t get to physically ourselves, but also provide a really cool science activity for the teachers,” said Jessa Watters, manager of the amphibian and reptile collection at the Sam Noble Museum. Kits are sent free of charge to teachers who have access to local ponds or streams, Watters said. Participants are asked to swab the skin of frogs and salamanders and send them back to the herpetology lab, where lab members will test the swabs for a virulent chytrid fungus, Siler said. Wa t t e r s s a i d t h e l a b hopes to distribute about 50 citizen s cience kits, each including 10 to 20 sampling swabs, and that as of Tuesday the lab had
The OU Board of Regents approved renewing a cost-saving early retirement program that was originally instated in 2016. The Special Voluntary Retirement Incentive, which provides early retirement packages for eligible OU faculty and staff, cut $13.7 million from OU’s expenses in 2016 and is projected to save $9.4 million in 2017, according to the meeting’s agenda. The 2017 initiative will lower the age required to be eligible for the incentive from 62 to 60. Retirement dates in 2017 under the incentive will occur between April 1 and Dec. 31 for monthly-paid employees and between April 1 and Dec. 23 for biweekly-paid employees, according to the meeting agenda. Some faculty and staff, however, are not eligible for the program. These employees are those who are paid with external grant or contract funds or have been given notice of their involuntary separation prior to April 1, 2017, the agenda says. Those who take the incentive who are full-time, benefits-eligible faculty or staff will be paid an amount equal to 75 percent of their annual base salary in effect on March 15. Those who take the incentive who are full-time, benefits-eligible support and service staff and are not exempt from overtime rules will receive their hourly rate in effect on March 15, times 1,560 hours. Those who take the program will also not be eligible for reemployment in a benefit-eligible position for three years after their retirement dates. However, they may return to the university in a part-time, non-benefits-eligible position 60 days after retirement. The retirement plan is part of a larger response to the state budget crisis; OU’s budget has been cut by more than $100 million since 2008, according to the meeting’s agenda. More than 140 university employees took advantage of the early retirement program in 2016. Staff Reports
Board of Regents elects chairman, vice chairman, executive secretary
The OU Board of Regents approved the elections of Clayton Bennett as the chairman of the board and Kirk Humphreys as vice chairman of the board at its meeting Wednesday. Chris Purcell was also re-elected to serve as the board’s executive secretary and vice president for university governance, positions she has held since 1992, according to an OU News press release. Bennett, appointed to the Board of Regents in 2011, is also chairman of the Oklahoma City Thunder and president of Dorchester Capital, a private investment company. He has served as the chair of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, the Oklahoma State Fair and Oklahoma Industries Authority, among other things, according to the release. Humphreys, appointed to the Board of Regents in 2012, is also chairman of The Humphreys Company, a real estate development firm. He serves on the board of the Oklahoma Gas and Energy Corporation, served as the mayor of Oklahoma City twice and has served on the Putnam City School Board, according to the release. Purcell is also the secretary of OU, Cameron University and Rogers State University. She has received the Women’s Leadership Award and the University of Oklahoma Student Association Outstanding Administrator award and has been honored by the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education as well, according to the release. Staff Reports
Celebrated writer, political speaker to talk and attend discussion at OU PHOTO BY ANNA TIMBERLAKE VIA JESSA WATTERS
A student takes a sample from an amphibian. The project was initiated spring 2016.
distributed over 30 kits. The program will stop accepting applications for kits March 31, she said. Siler said he and his fellow lab members would like the lab’s citizen science project to recur annually. He would also like to find a sustainable way to subsidize the kits so they remain free or at a minimal cost for teachers. “ We w o u l d b o t h l ov e to see this where the
website. The study focuses on one of two types of virulent chytridiomycosis, or chytrid, a fungal disease that can infect the skin on amphibians. Batrachochytrium dendrobatis infects frogs and salamanders and is the only strain of virulent chytrid found in the United States, according to the project’s webpage. From late March through summer, lab members col-
“We’ve kind of developed this study as a way to get additional data from sites that we can’t get to physically ourselves, but also provide a really cool science activity for the teachers.” JESSA WATTERS, MANAGER OF THE AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE COLLECTION AT THE SAM NOBLE MUSEUM
Oklahoma City Zoo or the museum gift shop has these kits available where people and their families can buy them as a science activity they can do,” Siler said. Siler said the kits cost about $30 each, and are currently funded through grants from the O k la h o ma D e pa r t m e nt of Wildlife Conversation and Oklahoma City Zoo Conservation Action Now, a c c o r d i n g t o t h e l a b’s
lect hundreds of samples from rural areas, whereas citizen science participants collect samples from more urban areas, biology and pre-med senior Liza Marhanka said. Marhanka, who also worked on the project last year, was one of the first students to work with the Sam Noble Museum’s DNA analyzer, which Siler said the museum purchased at the end of 2016. Marhanka said she
moved slowly with the machine for the first couple months while getting used to it. However, the lab can now test about 1 4 4 s a m p l e s i n t h re e hours, three times its initial productivity, she said. Siler said the DNA testing machine has reduced sample-testing time significantly, since OU ’s lab previously sent samples to the Kerby Lab at the University of South Dakota for testing. Watters said they finished testing the 2016 data in early February. Siler said he expects 2017 data results will be finished in the fall. The lab’s 2016 samples showed more prevalence of pathogens than returned citizen kit samples, Siler said. Siler said he hopes better kit instructions this year will produce more comparable results between samples collected by lab students and those collected by the public. According to the project’s webpage, anyone interested in participating can fill out a questionnaire and s end it to Watters at jwatters@ ou.edu. Shane Byler
shane.l.byler-1@ou.edu
The author of a #1 New York Times best-selling book examining the struggles America’s working class faces will speak at OU for a President’s Associates dinner and public lecture March 23. J.D. Vance is the author of “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.” He is also a political contributor for CNN, a contributing writer to The New York Times and National Review, and a principal at a leading Silicon Valley investment firm, according to a press release from OU. Before the 6:30 p.m. dinner, Vance will also meet with students for a 5:45 p.m. informal discussion. The lecture and dinner, which will take place in the Beaird Lounge of the Oklahoma Memorial Union, have limited seating, so those wishing to attend must call OU Public Affairs at 405-325-3784 or email specialevents@ou.edu to arrange a reservation. Andrew Clark, @Clarky_Tweets
NOTICE OF PUBLIC ACCESS During the Regular Meeting Of The University of Oklahoma PUBLICATIONS BOARD
9:30 a.m. Friday, March 10 Copeland Hall, Room 146
Students, staff, faculty and others in the community are invited to express their views concerning The Oklahoma Daily or Sooner yearbook to the Publications Board.
March 9-12, 2017 •
NEWS Dana Branham Editor in Chief Andrew Clark News Managing Editor Supriya Sridhar Engagement Managing Editor
Andrew Clark, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Meet the candidates Three students will be on ballot for CAC chair K AYLA BRANCH
Spenser Davis Sports Editor Chloe Moores A&E Editor Jesse Pound Enterprise Editor Siandhara Bonnet Visual Editor Rachael Maker Copy Manager Abbie Sears Print Editor Audra Brulc Opinion Editor
contact us
160 Copeland Hall, 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-2052
ALEC ARMER
phone:
405-325-3666
email: us contact
dailynews@ou.edu The Oklahoma Daily is a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication.
Entrepreneurship and marketing junior Alec Armer is campaigning to collect data to find out where the Campus Activities Council stands with students on campus and to use that data to move forward in the future.
Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 250 words, typed and signed by the author(s). Letters will be edited for accuracy, space and style. Students must list their major and classification. To submit letters, email dailyopinion@ou.edu. Our View is the voice of the Editorial Board, which consists of ten student editors. The board meets at 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday in Copeland Hall, Room 160. Board meetings are open to the public. Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion. Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are their own and not necessarily the views or opinions of The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board. To advertise in The Oklahoma Daily, contact the advertising manager Brianica Steenbock by calling 405-325-2521 or emailing dailyads@ ou.edu. One free copy of The Daily is available to members of the OU community. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents by contacting The Daily business office at 405325-2522. Corrections: The Daily is Corrections: The Daily is committed to accuracy committed to accuracy in its publications. If in its publications. If you find an error in a you find an error in a story, email dailynews@ story, email dailynews@ ou.edu or visit oudaily. ou.edu or visit oudaily. com/site/corrections com/corrections to .html to submit a correction form. VOL. 102, NO. 47
© 2017 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25¢
WHAT IS YOUR PLATFORM?
“There are three primary things that I am going to be doing. First, I want to assess where CAC is at now. For the most part, when we set goals
• @K AYLA _BRANCH
for ourselves, we don’t have the background for where we are trying to improve from. We know we want improvement but don’t really have anything to benchmark that improvement with, so I think it is important to have the information and the data to back up the goals we set for ourselves. The second is addressing issues that come up from the data we gather. There are students who don’t feel welcome in CAC and they will drop out from planning an event. I would like to meet one-on-one with anyone that decides to drop to see their reason why and what we can do to fix that issue and show that we care about their involvement instead of just letting them go. The third is that I want to continue to promote access to CAC by creating a common application that will allow people to apply to more events. Also, I want to work on more co-programming with
accessibility, development and community. Development is the biggest one just because I think that CAC has a lot of internal issues that make it run not nearly as efficiently as it should. One of the things I want to do is streamline the process of transitioning positions within CAC and to make our application process easier. “Communication is mainly about continuing to strengthen CAC’s ties with the OU community. I really want to make the Ambassador’s Program more effective with how they interact with other organizations. CAC worked with SGA last semester to organization to make it more make the Campus Climate efficient. Board, so I want to make sure that is implemented correctWHAT IS YOUR ly and continues to be a rePLATFORM? source for students moving “I’m campaigning on forward. three pillars, which are “With accessibility, I
WILL SHELDEN Geology junior Will Shelden will focus on strengthening ties between the Campus Activities Council and the OU community as well as streamlining various processes within the
themselves and the abilities they bring to the table, and I think it’s important that the Campus Activities Council gives each student the opportunity to develop themselves, form connections, and also gain accessibility to all the university resources. I want to advocate for a day-long conference where Student Life leaders come together to plan a conference and make those goals happen. Next is opportunity. I want to offer all students a seat at the table ... I believe that CAC should branch out PROVIDED BY JONNA VANDERSLICE to a weekly newsletter to asBiology junior Jonna Vanderslice is running for Campus sist organizations with publicity and increase access to Bi o l o g y ju n i o r Jo n na Campus Activities Council. events. Finally, envision. I believe that the success of Vanderslice is running for WHAT IS YOUR an organization can be meaCAC chair with a campaign sured by its plan for the futo increase communication PLATFORM? “My first point is empow- ture ... I hope to implement between all student organizations and accessibility erment. I believe that all stu- a transition procedure for between students and the dents should be confident in each event chair within CAC
JONNA VANDERSLICE
Adopt - An - Area Area ratings for this week Air Force ROTC Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Delta Phi Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society Alpha Omicron Pi Alpha Phi Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Sigma Kappa Alpha Tau Omega Beta Theta Pi Catholic Student Association Chi Omega Delta Delta Delta Delta Epsilon Psi Delta Gamma Delta Phi Omega Delta Sigma Theta
3
Delta Tau Delta Delta Upsilon Gamma Phi Beta Hispanic American Student Association International Leadership Class Iota Phi Theta Kappa Alpha Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Theta Kappa Delta Chi Kappa Kappa Gamma Kappa Kappa Psi Lambda Chi Alpha National Society of Collegiate Scholars Omega Delta Phi Omega Psi Phi Our Earth Phi Beta Sigma Phi Delta Alpha Phi Delta Theta
Phi Gamma Delta Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Sigma Pi Beta Phi Pi Kappa Phi Hj]ka\]fl k ;geemfalq K[`gdYjk Hj]ka\]fl k D]Y\]jk`ah ;dYkk Rotaract JM>'F=CK Dad Kak Sigma Chi Sigma Gamma Rho Sigma Lambda Gamma Sigma Nu Sigma Phi Epsilon Sooner Jump Start Program Zeta Phi Beta Adams Center Cate Center Couch Center Walker Center
Way to go! Keep up the good work!
The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Institution. For accommodations on the basis of disability, call 325-7869.
other organizations, which we do currently, but this will be a continuation. I want to challenge people to think that just because we think something is a tradition, it may not have always been that way, so we might be able to open events up to more people.”
HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED ON CAMPUS?
“For CAC, I’ve been on the executive committee as the public relations coordinator, and served on Howdy Week exec and Homecoming and U-Sing. Outside of CAC, I am currently involved in the Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth, in the JCPenny leadership program, in the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi, the social fraternity Sigma Nu, I’m a Price Ambassador and I’ve been an SGL for Camp Crimson the past two years.”
mainly want to make CAC more transparent and the application process easier. I feel like the application process is very skewed to people who have already been involved in CAC. I want to work toward eliminating bias and streamline the application process. I also want to continue the process of opening up our internal processes to other people.”
HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED ON CAMPUS?
“I am a CAC die-hard. I have been doing this literally since freshman year — I’ve been involved in Winter Welcome week as the chair and other positions, and I participate a lot in my specific college. I do a little with the Pick and Hammer Club and I was just picked as the Mewbourne College social media and outreach
WHY SHOULD STUDENTS VOTE FOR YOU?
“I think that I am the best candidate. I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think I was the best candidate. I have been passionate about this, and I do a lot of the behind-thescenes things with various events. I am always willing to reach out and try to improve the position that am I in. I think my drive to work individually and my passion for making sure that we always go above and beyond is one reason. But the other reason I think I’m the best candidate is I have worked very closely with the chair, and within that position I know what I can do, what I should be doing, and how to make sure that CAC is on the right path.”
coordinator.”
WHY SHOULD STUDENTS VOTE FOR YOU? “I feel like I am the best person for the job. Not to say the other two candidates aren’t qualified, but I feel like having been in CAC as long as I have and having served under two chairs, I feel like I know what changes need to be made to keep the organization moving forward ... And I am always open to criticism and hearing new ideas, and I want to hear what OU wants from CAC. This should be an organization for all the students, not just the ones inside it. I want to make it a more accessible and functional organization.”
to better share knowledge steps to achieve those goals. I believe in the power of from year to year.” communication. I believe in HOW ARE YOU the power of relationships. INVOLVED ON And I believe that we will CAMPUS? all go farther whenever we “ I c u r re n t l y s e r v e a s all work together. So that is the vice chair of CAC, I’ve what I think is the most imbeen involved with the portant thing, and all my High School Leadership past experiences of working C o n f e r e n c e a s w e l l with different people and a s H o m e c o m i n g a n d finding different ways to imSoonerthon. I’ve been an prove each position I have SGL with Camp Crimson for held I will bring to this posithe past two years and I’m tion as well.” involved with Leadership Scholars in the College of Arts and Sciences. I’m a member of Crimson Club CAC VOTING and I also served as the President’s Leadership Class Voting for CAC adviser my sophomore year.” chair will take
WHY SHOULD STUDENTS VOTE FOR YOU?
“I believe in tangible goals and I believe in taking the
place March 28-29 at elections. ou.edu.
4
NEWS
• March 9-12, 2017
Undergraduate Student Congress urges legislators to end budget cuts
The Undergraduate Student Congress passed a resolution urging state legislators to refrain from making further education budget cuts at its meeting Tuesday, among other actions. The resolution cited various shortcomings in the state’s budget and how they have affected OU, which has 21 percent less in state appropriations now than in 2001. Andrew Kierig, member of the OU Graduate Student Senate and author of the resolution, said he wrote the bill after being frustrated that OU continued to face budget cuts and rising fees for students due to actions by state legislators. However, even with the budget cuts, OU has maintained high national rankings in several areas, and for these accomplishments to continue without extreme monetary pressure on students the university will need funding from the state, Kierig said. But despite the budget cuts, a February report says the out-of-pocket cost to obtain a degree from the university has decreased an average of $7,200 since 2015. The resolution passed with only one congress member voting against it. A resolution thanking the OU Food Pantry student director Matt Marks for his efforts to bring the pantry to campus was also proposed, but it was indeďŹ nitely tabled. For full coverage of Tuesday’s meeting, visit oudaily. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXANDER ZWINK VIA DR. RANDY PEPPLER com. Kayla Branch, @kayla_branch CIMMS scientists with the NOAA/NWS Warning Decision Training Division have facilitated workshops for the Oklahoma Weather Lab, an OU undergraduate student weather forecasting organization.
OU research uncertain about federal funding Researchers adapt proposals, respond to financial shifts HANNAH PIKE @h_pike_
OU researchers are watching and waiting as President Donald Trump’s administration determines how it will allocate funding among federal agencies. Researchers at OU, a university that receives 80 percent of its research funding from federal agencies, are in a state of “maximum uncertainty� because they do not know how funding will be allocated among federal agencies and, therefore, among research projects, said Hank Jenkins-Smith, political science professor and associate director of the Center for Applied Social Research. In the first seven months of Fiscal Year 2017, OU has submitted more research proposals than in the first seven months of any of the previous four fiscal years, according to a report from the Office of the Vice President for Research. More of those proposals have been granted in FY 2017 than in the past three years, but OU researchers received $13.8 million less in funding this fiscal year than last, according to the report. Receiving funding has been less successful in recent years because there is more competition from other universities, so OU researchers have to submit more proposals to receive the same amount of funding, said Kelvin Droegemeier, OU vice president for research. “We want our faculty to think boldly,� Droegemeier said. “We want them to be on the leading edge of their discipline, and we want to help do whatever it takes — whatever we can — to help
them be competitive to go bring in those dollars and to have the bold ideas, to go out and solve those really difficult challenges that are out there.� Droegemeier said OU Res earch competes “in the marketplace of ideas,� where researchers often ask for three times more money than they are actually granted because agencies do not have enough money to fund everything. “The research enterprise itself really hinges on federal dollars, so when the priorities of congress and the president change dramatically, as they have, then there’s a period where the university has to adapt,� Jenkins-Smith said. The amount of funding each government agency receives determines which types of research proposals are granted and how much funding they will receive. “We’ve done a very careful analysis of our research expenditures relative to federal agency budgets, and they’re almost tracking onefor-one,� Droegemeier said. “They’re almost perfectly correlated, so when the agency budgets go up, our research expenditures tend to rise because we’re bringing in money.� Because of this, OU Research wants the topics of its research proposals to be as broad as possible to maximize funding, Droegemeier said. Although researchers do not know which agencies will receive funding, Jenkins-Smith said they “have some very strong ideas.� Since Trump has prioritized national defense, OU researchers are thinking about how they can contribute with OU ’s radar program, technology and even healthcare research, Droegemeier said. “We don’t just blow with the wind, though, because administration changes and
priorities change, but we are pretty agile in saying, ‘OK, we see the (Department of Defense) funding is going to rise.’ We’ve been in that area really strongly now for several years. We’re beautifully positioned to continue moving forward,� Droegemeier said.
“And if that is cut significantly, it’s going to have a big impact on the state in general.� RANDY PEPPLER, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE OU COOPERATIVE INSTITUTE FOR MESOSCALE METEOROLOGICAL STUDIES
Randy Peppler, interim director of the OU Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, said as funding shifts, researchers can move to other projects with more robust funding or look for funding from non-governmental organizations. Research topics like weather radars can also b e “ t a l k e d u p� t o t h e Department of Defense, and CIMMS is versatile in that it
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.
Hannah Pike
hmaepike@gmail.com
HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2017, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017 Do your best and leave nothing to chance. Strive to go above and beyond whatĘźs expected of you if you want to get others to recognize what you are capable of doing. Bring about change, but do so with class, dignity and facts. Make this a year to remember. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Once you set a goal, itĘźs a matter of putting your plan in motion. Your vision will be spot-on, and your ability to follow through unprecedented. Romance is highlighted. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Attend a function that is geared toward education and you will discover a way to expand your expertise and diversify your professional options.
Previous Solution
looks “across all the federal agencies for funding opportunities,� Peppler said. “We do work with OU government relations staff, and they work very closely with the Oklahoma delegation in Washington,� Peppler said. “They are quite aware of the possibilities here because they all know what the economic impact of our research and development enterprise is in Norman, OU and the state. And if that is cut significantly, it’s going to have a big impact on the state in general.� While the redistribution of funding sometimes means research programs get left behind, changes in the administration also provide an opportunity to explore different areas of research that were previously prioritized less, JenkinsSmith said. “There’s a very exciting period in which new kinds of projects become possible,� Jenkins-Smith said. “The opportunities for students and young researchers to be at the starting gates for those new lines of research are present.�
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Focus on what you can get done without the help of others. Physical labor or exercise will ease your stress and help you put emotional matters in perspective. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Beautify your surroundings and pay more attention to the way you present yourself. A trendy new look will lift your spirits and encourage you to participate more in community events.
spending time with someone you love is favored. Making a physical change will boost your confidence and result in compliments. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You can spin things in your favor if you offer practical solutions to financial, legal or medical issues that develop when dealing with a partner, institutions or government agencies. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Form an alliance with someone who supports your ideas, solutions and efforts. A romantic encounter will tempt you. DonĘźt make an impulsive decision that could affect your living arrangements or plans. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Check out your options, but donĘźt walk away from one situation until you have a secure hold on where you are heading next. Impulse will lead to uncertainty. Follow your intuition. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Display your skills, expertise and physical ability to get things done. Your excellent work ethic will promote advancement. Be prepared to counterattack a jealous competitor trying to undermine you.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- YouĘźll be tempted to follow someone elseĘźs lead. Before you jump in, consider whatĘźs being offered and whatĘźs expected of you in return. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Question If uncertainty prevails, donĘźt get involved. what others ask of you. DonĘźt feel sorry for someone trying to take AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Take advantage of you. Stay focused on time to pamper yourself or update your responsibilities and doing the your appearance. Nurture an best you can. important relationship by sharing your plans and feelings. Romance is LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Taking encouraged. a trip, signing up for a course or
Stay connected with The Daily
Follow @OUDaily for breaking news and campus info
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.
CLASSIFIEDS J Housing Rentals DUPLEXES UNFURNISHED $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
PLACE A PAID AD Phone: 405-325-2521 E-mail: classifieds@ou.edu
Fax: 405-325-7517 Campus Address: COH 149A
DEADLINES Line Ad .................................................................................. 3 days prior Place line ad by 9:00 a.m. 3 business days prior to publication.
Display Ad ............................................................................3 days prior Classified Display or Classified Card Ad Place your display, classified display or classified card ads by 5:00 p.m. 3 business days prior to publication.
Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy Parker March 9, 2017 ACROSS 1 “Martial� follower 5 “Mini� selling places 10 Bald spot coverings 14 Awkward, uncouth person 15 Midwestern metropolis 16 Combat outfit 17 Europe’s largest volcano 18 Enjoy, as a chef’s meal 19 Big-time launcher 20 Honesty, politeness, charm, etc. 23 “Spare the rod, ___ the child� 24 Like bad winters 25 Steer clear of 28 Larger-life link 30 Native of Bangkok 31 Bake eggs in their shells 33 Young boy 36 Including everything 40 Farm tool 41 Make someone do a spit take 42 Word with “Dutch� or “toaster� 43 Quiet sound that can mean “Look here!� 44 Piece of luggage carried by hand 46 Alaskan native
3/9
49 Alpha’s opposite 51 Employing sympathy 57 Brahman’s prominent feature 58 Divvy up accordingly 59 “Bright� thing from one’s mind 60 Certain sporting sword 61 Makers of a big V 62 Kind of year 63 Rectangular paving stone with a curved top 64 Did some math 65 Some football players DOWN 1 Waugh or Guinness 2 IRA type 3 Casserole type 4 TV’s Enterprise, e.g. 5 Russian capital 6 Stradivarius’ teacher 7 “Bolero� composer 8 One of the Marvel superheroes 9 Common garment of India 10 If you simply bask for it, you’ll get it 11 Walking ___ (euphoric) 12 Old floppies
13 Secret supply 21 Beast that imitates 22 Entertainer Lewis, with a lamb 43-Down 25 Carve into crystal, e.g. 26 Dismiss a flying pest 27 Showed up 28 Fork prong 29 Ruth’s 714 or a day’s 24 31 Closed 32 Chiffons oldie “___ So Fine� 33 Name on many jeans’ labels 34 Some British beverages 35 Bit of force? 37 One associated with dreadlocks 38 Bad “accidental� letters?
39 Apt to go into a rage 43 Marionette relative 44 Let off steam, literally or figuratively 45 Turkish lord (var.) 46 Pains in the neck 47 It makes gems appear larger 48 Actor M. ___ Walsh of over 200 films 49 Lubricated 50 Squirrel’s partner,in cartoons 52 Long, drawn-out tale 53 It glides across snow 54 First inhabited place 55 The periodic table’s Pb 56 Runs at the mouth
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
3/8
3/6
Š 2017 Andrews McMeel Syndication www.upuzzles.com Š 2017 Andrews McMeel Syndication
C LIST: 15 LETTER WORDS By Timothy E. Parker
March 9-12, 2017 •
SPORTS
5
Spenser Davis, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
Freshman seeks wins, not glory
Forward serves struggling Sooners wherever needed DEREK PETERSON @DrPetey15
W h e n O k la h o ma m e t Texas for the first time this season, both teams were struggling, but both touted promising young pieces. For Oklahoma, it was freshman Kameron McGusty, who had scored double-digit points in six straight. In a nationally televised game on Big Monday all the attention was on McGusty. Then Kristian Doolittle happened. A 19-year-old man standing 6 foot 7 inches tall, 236 pounds, exploded for 29 points and 10 boards. While the Longhorns were helpless to slow him down, Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger rode his freshman and made him the hub of the Sooners’ offense. “Coaches just kept telling me to keep going,” Doolittle said. “Don’t stop because they needed me that game.” Leading up to that evening in Austin, Doolittle hadn’t attempted more than 10 shots in a game. He stood in the shadow of guys like McGusty and Jordan Woodard for much of the season — a secondary option. Eighteen shots later, Doolittle had introduced himself to a fanbase clamoring for a nationally relevant team. Next season that moment arrives in full force with the debut of fivestar point guard Trae Young. McGusty stokes that excitement even more. But it’s Doolittle that will bring stability to a core three that has all the makings of one of the next Oklahoma greats. “I don’t think anybody would necessarily anticipate that from a freshman,” said Shane Cowherd, Doolittle’s coach at Edmond Memorial High School. Texas sure didn’t. Post-ups, pull-ups in transition, threes, determined drives to the bucket — it was all working in perfect harmony for Doolittle against the Longhorns. “You get a feel what he’s really able to do in a ball game in terms of taking over — inside, outside, boards,” Kruger said. “Kristian was fantastic.”
KRISTIAN DOOLITTLE’S SEASON STATS Games started: 22 out of 28 Field goal percentage: 0.385 Free throw percentage: 0.800 Rebounds: 174 Assists: 32 Blocks: 10 Steals: 19 Points: 239 Source: soonersports.com
Freshman forward Kristian Doolittle shoots a free throw Friday. Doolittle is 19 years old, 6 foot 7 inches and 236 pounds.
The thing about Doolittle, though, is that he only focuses on one stat from the Texas game: 84-83. With time ticking away and the Sooners clinging to a lead, Doolittle switched onto Texas freshman Andrew Jones on the perimeter. Jones pulled up. Splash. A triple over Doolittle to win. Twenty-nine points be damned. “I’m not one to care about personal stats,” Doolittle said. “All I care about is winning.” “A kid at Kristian’s size and skill set doesn’t come around all the time,” Cowherd said. “That makes him unique in that regard.” Doolittle has the type of frame that led NBA scouts to begin dialing Cowherd’s office number as early as last November. He possesses a unique blend of strength and finesse that makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses, whether it’s bully-balling his way to the free-throw line (more than 100 attempts this season) or fading to the perimeter to drain a three (39 percent from beyond the arc). He also has complete disregard for the attention that comes with being as talented as he is. “I’ve never really wanted all the attention to be on me,” Doolittle said. “I’ll do anything it takes to win, and if that means me going and scoring or just playing defense or whatever — I don’t really care about that other stuff.” Doolittle is just fine hanging out with his teammates or finding a quiet spot to sit and play a game on his phone. Cowherd said he could simply find an outlet to plug his phone into and sit for hours. No parties, no crowds, just Doolittle. “He might hate me for saying this, but he’s a little bit of a nerd,” Cowherd said. “He doesn’t have to be the center of attention.” That laid-back demeanor manifests itself on the court as well.
“Sometimes I had to get in his chili pretty good,” Cowherd said, “and say, ‘I don’t care about the right basketball play right now. I need you to go score.’ “I’ve never had a player
basketball IQ. From an early age, Doolittle embraced the benefits of scouting. “Scouting reports in high school vary from being very, very good in some programs to being al-
“He might hate me for saying this, but he’s a little bit of a nerd. He doesn’t have to be the center of attention.” SHANE COWHERD, EDMOND MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL COACH
on the high school level that was — sometimes almost in a negative sense — more of a willing passer and teammate.” Just short of winning, Doolittle cares most about making the smart play. If he’s open, he’ll drive to the basket and go from there. If he’s covered or facing a double, he’ll pass. Even though he has the talent to score 29 points on any given night, he doesn’t need to, even if it upsets the coach. “ He always told me I passed too much,” Doolittle said. “I don’t know, it was like he would say, ‘Who has a better chance of making a shot?’ Even if they’re wide open, he would still want me to take the shot, and I wasn’t really used to that, being double-teamed and still shooting. I would always give it up and let you shoot it.” Even if his coach was yelling for him to take the shot, if passing to someone else was the smarter play, Doolittle was making that pass. When some dive head-first into a defense with no plan or course of attack, Doolittle is calculated. “Kristian’s got a great feel for the game,” Kruger said. “He just makes the right basketball play.” When Doolittle comes up, coaches — both high school and collegiate — focus on his basketball mind. Cowherd said his physical gifts form a perfect marriage with his mental preparation. Kruger and his assistants praise the
most non-existent in others,” Cowherd said. At Memorial, scouting is a big part of what they do, and Doolittle took full advantage of it. “He was so invested in what we did with our scouting, he could call — on the floor in the middle of a high school basketball game — action that the other team was getting ready to run before they ever ran it,” Cowherd said. “Most high school kids have a hard time just being able to figure out what they’re doing on their own offensive end, let alone what another team is doing on every possession.” Doolittle knows what’s coming and he’s usually ready for it. On defense, he’s rarely caught out of position. Equal attention is paid to the other end of the floor, too. Since arriving at Oklahoma, Doolittle has taken a liking to the freedom he has to get in a gym at any time and work on his game. “I feel like I became a better shooter from what I was in high school,” Doolittle said. “Having more opportunities to go work out in the gym has definitely changed how I approach basketball now, just being able to go in late night or early morning on my own time and always having someone there to either rebound for me or get shots up with.” The work, however, is nothing new. Doolittle has added something different to his game every season, from the time he was a high school
freshman whose role was to just not screw up to today. “He goes from being a kid that can’t really score more than about eight feet away from the rim to where now he’s pulling up from 25 (feet) and doing it at a very high percentage,“ Cowherd said. “That doesn’t happen by accident. That happens with a lot of repetition, a lot of work.” Adorning Doolittle’s arms are a collection of tattoos. Most basketball players have ink, but these aren’t ink for the sake of it — these carry weight. On his right arm he has his brother’s and father’s names followed by his grandmother’s favorite Bible verse. On his left, his mother’s name and a tribute to his cousin who passed away when he was younger. At any given time, his family is close. Throughout the recruiting process, comfort and family played heavily on Doolittle’s mind. In the Sooners, he found both. “It was easy to stay home,” he said. He saw the plan Kruger had for the program and saw himself fitting into that plan. There were no tweets, no shows, no hats, no cameras. When he felt he was ready to make a decision, he committed and then got back to business. Family, basketball and winning remained the focus. At Oklahoma this season, winning has lagged behind the other two. The Sooners will begin Big 12 tournament play as a nine seed a season after traveling to the Final Four. With 19 losses on the ledger, they have officially endured their worst season since 1980-1981. While the results have taken longer than he would like, Doolittle hasn’t once quit or hung his head. “I talk to Kristian a lot, and I’ve never seen him down in the mouth about it,” Cowherd said. “It’s always about getting ready for the next one.” For someone who responds with “winning” when asked what his favorite part of
SIANDHARA BONNET/THE DAILY
basketball is, Doolittle understands this is a process. The pain this season is set up for next season. When Young arrives on campus, Doolittle will be relegated to third fiddle. He doesn’t care. That’s right where he wants to be. That’s when games like the Texas outing happen. In middle school, Doolittle played in a tournament at an Edmond Memorial High School camp. He was the best player on the court, and his team rolled. “Everyone wanted me to lose because I was the best player at the camp,” Doolittle said. “We won every game going into the championship.” Once in the title game, with his family looking on, Doolittle’s team lost. He grew emotional on the bench, and his dad had to come and calm him down. He doesn’t remember what was said, but he remembers what he felt. “I hate losing.” Doolittle isn’t one of those guys that sees utility in a stat-stuffing individual performance if the overall team result isn’t there. “ That’s the thing that makes him special,” Cowherd said. “He doesn’t care about who gets the glory. He wants to win, and whatever (he) has to do to win, that’s what (he’ll) do. If it means score four and grab 16 boards, all right.” Since exploding against the Longhorns, Doolittle has scored 10 or more points just twice. Not because he can’t score, but because his team needs him elsewhere. In the Sooners’ final regular season game, Doolittle grabbed 13 rebounds and scored eight of his 19 points at the foul line. He’s fine with doing the dirty work. “He’s a superstar,” Cowherd said, “that doesn’t have a superstar ego.” Derek Peterson
Dr.Petey15@gmail.com
Sooners showcase skill for scouts at Pro Day Westbrook, Mixon, Evans impress at pre-draft OU event
NFL DRAFT
GEORGE STOIA
Time: 8 p.m. ET
@GeorgeStoia
Channels: ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network
Dates: April 27 - April 29
With the NFL draft quickly approaching, multiple former Sooners tried to make one last impression for NFL scouts at OU’s Pro Day. Fifteen former Oklahoma football players worked out today for a host of NFL scouts, hoping to extend their careers professionally. Two of the most intriguing players participating in the drills were former wide receiver Dede
Place: Philadelphia Source: sportingnews.com
Westbrook and running back Joe Mixon. After deciding not to participate at the NFL combine a week ago, Westbrook ran impressive 4.34 40-yard dash, but he felt he could have done better. “I’m not happy with what
happened as far as my 40 goes, I believe I could have went faster,” Westbrook said. “For everything else, I thought it was a pretty decent day.” Mixon on the other hand, did not receive an NFL combine invitation due to off-thefield issues, and had to make the most of his Pro Day appearance. He did just that, running a 4.43 40 yard-dash and benching 21 reps of 225 pounds. “I left it all on the line,” Mixon said. “I can breathe now. It was a fun moment out here with my teammates, I had fun. Basically laid it all out on the line one more time.” Even though Mixon had a nice day on the field, it’s his
off-the-field issues scouts are worried about. Mixon served a one year suspension during the 2014 season, after striking a woman one at a campus restaurant in June 2014. After working out Wednesday, Mixon spoke about what he tells teams when addressing his off the field issues. “Pretty much I own to what I did that day. I know it wasn’t right, I know it’s never right,” Mixon said. “At the end of the day, just sit in front of (NFL teams), look them in the eye and let them get a feel for me.” According to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, Mixon is still projected to go in the second round. One surprise at OU Pro Day
was former linebacker and Norman native Jordan E v a n s . Recording a 38.5 inch vertical jump, a 19 rep bench JOE press and a MIXON 4.5-second 40 yard dash, Evans may have the best overall pro day. For Evans, who wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine, just being able to participate was a dream come true. “I still remember my freshman year, seeing Pro Day,” Evans said. “Now I’m getting to showcase it, and these guys
(scouts) even know my name. It’s just a dream come true.” Another player that may have improved his stock, is former running back Samaje Perine. Perine only participated in the 40-yard dash and running back drills, but improved his 40 time to 4.6 seconds. Official results from all 15 Sooners at OU’s Pro Day can be found at soonersports. com. Now the former Sooners will wait for the NFL Draft on April 27 to find out their future. George Stoia
george.s.stoia-1@ou.edu
6
• March 9-12, 2017
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
Chloe Moores, a&e editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/a_and_e • Twitter: @OUDailyArts
Feminist artwork raises funds
OU grad student donates proceeds to Norman women DEVIN HIETT @DevinHiett
Quan Phan, adult and higher education graduate student, walked out of the movie “Hidden Figures” feeling both inspired and a bit guilty. A feminist who spent his undergraduate years volunteering at the OU Gender + Equality Center, Phan left the film with a sad realization that he could not name a single woman of color currently making an impact in the feminist movement. Phan then decided that he wanted to bring attention to women like those portrayed in “Hidden Figures” so the world could hear the incredible stories of influential women past and present. A self-taught artist and painter, Phan decided the best way to accomplish this goal would be through his art. “I think art is a powerful tool to share ideas, to challenge people’s beliefs and to communicate things words QUAN can’t realPHAN ly do. Carrie Fisher’s quote, ‘Take your broken heart, make it into art,’ really sparked something in me,” Phan said.
On Feb. 28, Phan officially announced a project he’s been secretly working on for weeks. In honor of Women’s History Month, Phan is auctioning off an original watercolor painting of a woman or female character he considers a feminist icon every day for the month of March. Each painting starts at $25 and can be bid on until the end of the day. Phan is also selling prints of each painting for $10 each. Phan originally considered donating the proceeds of his paintings to Planned Parenthood, but he decided he wanted the money to go somewhere local, where students and members of the community could directly benefit from his donations. Bliss Brown, one of Phan’s friends and a full-time employee for the Women’s R e s o u r c e C e n t e r, g av e Phan the idea to donate the money to the Normanbased nonprofit’s Rape Crisis Center, which provides 24/7 crisis intervention and support for victims of sexual assault. Phan’s donations will go toward funding services provided by the Rape Crisis Center. These services include medication to prevent STDs, emergency contraceptives, counseling to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, a courtroom advocate, and a nurse examiner trained to give rape kit examinations. Brown has firsthand experience seeing the impact a substantial donation to the center can make.
BUY YOUR ART The project’s public Facebook album can be found by visiting Quan Phan’s Facebook page. People can bid as often as they want, but each bid placed must be a mininum $1 more than the previous bid. If someone wants to claim a piece and guarantee they receive it then they can comment “Buy It Now” on the Facebook photo and pay $50 for the original portrait. Phan will deliver his work to local buyers or ship his pieces for an extra cost. DEVIN HIETT/THE DAILY
A selection of adult and higher education graduate student Quan Phan’s watercolor pieces. The proceeds of the artwork will go to benefit the Rape Crisis Center in Norman.
“Because of a pretty large donation we received, we could buy a new camera for our rape exam that takes pictures of bruises beneath the skin that haven’t showed up yet that helps with collecting evidence,” Brown said. The Rape Crisis Center also appealed to Phan because he felt it was an organization anyone who purchased his art would be willing to support. “No matter what political affiliation anyone has, I don’t think anyone will oppose a service for rape victims,” Phan said. K a t h y Fa h l , d i r e c t o r of the Gender + Equality Center, described Phan as
a true advocate and ally for women, the feminist movement, and the equality center’s mission. “I love Quan’s approach of combining art and getting people’s attention to women who may or may not be famous to some people. He’s raising awareness through the beauty of his artwork and hopefully educating people about the women he’s focusing on,” Fahl said. “And he’s selfless, donating the proceeds of his work to organizations that serve women. That’s pretty impressive.” All of the profits from Phan’s originals will go toward The Rape Crisis
Center, as will half the cost of his prints. The other half will go toward production costs. In order to bid on an original painting or to purchase a print, customers can visit the project’s public Facebook album, which showcases a new painting each day. Each bid placed must be a minimum of $1 more than the previous bid. You can bid as often as you like. If you want to claim the piece and be guaranteed to receive it, you can comment “Buy It Now” on the Facebook photo and pay $50 for the original portrait. S o f a r, P h a n h a s r e leased six of his original
Phan accepts payment by cash, check or Venmo.
watercolors, which have featured Beyonce, Meryl Streep, Laverne Cox , Ellen Degeneres, Eleanor Roosevelt and Celie from “The Color Purple.” Although many of his upcoming works will be a surprise until their releases, he has disclosed that his favorite is the portrait of Elphaba from “Wicked.” Phan will either personally deliver his work to local buyers or ship his pieces for an extra cost. He accepts payment by way of cash, Venmo and check. Devin Hiett
hiettdevin@gmail.com
Artist features culture, time in new exhibit Local art collective to host ‘Soul Long’ exhibition Friday MADDIE ROPER @maddieroper4
When recalling his childhood, Ricardo Ruiz distinctly remembers the intoxicating smell of his father’s oil paints and the musk of old art books. He treasures images of Southwest Texas sunsets and Neil Young’s soulful voice on the radio of his father’s truck. Ruiz’s exposure to art, combined with memories of his upbringing, progressed into his blooming career as an artist. The nostalgia in Ruiz’s art is palpable, particularly in his watercolor image of a mystical creature — half-bird, half-skull — with “Neil Young ‘69” written on its back. Using only watercolors and paper, Ruiz’s prints explore space and color through visual representations of the fanciful creatures and folklore of his culture. The words come from a memory while the image
RUIZ’S “SOUL LONG” EXHIBITION Time: 8 p.m. to midnight Date: Friday Place: Resonator Art Collective in Norman Where: 1010 N. University Ave.
comes from Ruiz’s heritage, he said. Ruiz is of indigenous and Mexican descent, and his inspiration originates from his family’s practice of Curanderismo, or Mexican faith healing. “I use the teachings of Curanderismo as a foundation to discuss healing in the 21st century,” Ruiz said. Curanderismo puts a large value on fostering community by telling stories about unexplained phenomenon, magic and superstition. Through these stories, Curanderismo works to preserve Mexican heritage, Ruiz said. “I want the work to talk about the everyday lives of underrepresented minority groups,” Ruiz said.
Take your free portrait for Sooner yearbook:
Sept. 26-28 Grad Gear-Up: Beaird Lounge
Nov. 7, 9 & 10 Crossroads Lobby
Nov. 28, 30, Dec. 1-2 Crossroads Lobby
March 7-10 Grad Gear-Up: Beaird Lounge
March 27-30 Crossroads Lobby
April 17-20 Crossroads Lobby
April 24-28 Crossroads Lobby CONNECT & ORDER YOUR BOOK @SOONERYB
sooneryearbook.com
PROVIDED BY RICARDO RUIZ
An untitled piece of art part of the “Soul Long” series by Ricardo Ruiz. The exhibition is at the Resonator Art Collective.
He sees art as a way of recording culture. Through creative expression, different minority groups can celebrate the unique parts of their heritage and history, Ruiz said. Through his art he attempts to preserve his roots and give others a way to gather and grow their own communities. Ru i z b e l i e v e s h i s a r t achieves this by giving citizens a place to gather, such as at his “Soul Long” exhibition at the Resonator Art Collective that will take place Friday in conjunction with the 2nd Friday
Norman Art Walk. Eric Piper, director of Resonator, met Ruiz at a printmaking biennial convention in Corpus Christi, Texas, where they made a life-size Viking ship together. “He is someone I know who is working hard all the time and making new work all the time,” Piper said. Ruiz generally spends 12 hours a day working in the studio, but he does not see his art as hard work. Instead, he views it as a natural form of communication and a time of
reflection. “For me, I locate my faith in my relationship to nature and energy,” Ruiz said. For Ruiz, spirit is a constant presence throughout his journey of life, and he thinks about his own spirit’s manifestation in nature as a crucial part of art and healing. His reflection on time, spirit and nature was especially prevalent in the work he did for “Soul Long,” hence the title of the exhibition. Ruiz begins his artistic process with a period of writing in which he explores the orientation of space, his own place in time and his heritage. “I like the allegory of lifetime as one long walk,” Ruiz said. In addition to self-reflection, Ruiz desires to spark a lasting appreciation for the arts. He believes civilization can only flourish when all of its citizens have the freedom to express creativity. By continuing his passion for art, Ruiz can preserve elements of his own culture while encouraging conversation about other underrepresented minority groups. “Within the terrifying
theater that currently is American politics, I feel art is a necessity. Otherwise, you lose your identity,” Ruiz said. In order to help further his cause, Ruiz will donate 25 percent of the revenue from his art to the American Civil Liberties Union, said Jenna Bryan, Resonator employee. “Buying his work will be supporting the artist, the space and another great organization,” Bryan said. The nature of his work has always inherently been political, Ruiz said. Lately, he worries that groups within society have begun to take art for granted. Ruiz wants exhibits such as “Soul Long” to remind people of the important role art plays in enriching and documenting culture. Ruiz’s “Soul Long” exhibition will take place from 8 p.m. to midnight Friday at the Resonator Art Collective in Norman. Resonator is located at 1010 N. University Ave. The exhibit will be free and open to the public. Maddie Roper
maddieroper4@ou.edu
keep it forever