W E E K E N D E D I T I O N | M A R C H 14 - 2 3 , 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
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Former OU quarterback Kyler Murray impressed at OU’s football Pro Day in front of hundreds of NFL scouts, general managers, coaches and media March 13.
STAR OF THE DAY Kyler Murray impresses NFL personnel at OU Pro Day with athletic ability, work ethic
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y n a m i c . I m p re s s i v e. Versatile. Exceptional. T h o s e a re t h e f o u r words eight anonymous scouts, general managers, coaches and league executives at OU’s pro day Wednesday chose to describe Kyler Murray. “By far he should go No. 1,” one anonymous league executive told The Daily Wednesday. “Why not?” When asked to give one word to characterize the former OU quarterback, four scouts said dynamic, two said impressive, one said versatile and another said exceptional. And Murray was all four on Wednesday, putting on a show in front of more than 60 NFL personnel, including the likes of New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur and Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, among others. He didn’t re-measure his height or run the 40-yard dash despite everyone wanting him to. Instead, the Heisman Trophy winner showed off his cannon of an arm in a 36-minute throwing session and held his calm, business-like personality through a nearly sixhour day. He did what he set out to do: Impress. “ He’s a w i n n e r,” s a i d G i l Brandt, the former vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys. “He’s an excellent athlete. He’s got a lot of ability. And I think if you go back to anybody that is in the school district in Dallas, Texas, and you say who is the best, and you’re 43-0 … That’s a pretty good reason to take him No. 1.” DYNAMIC. VERSATILE. Ma rq u i s e B row n ’s p h o n e broke the silence. O n M u r r a y ’s 6 8 t h t h r o w Wednesday, Brown’s ringer went off as he sat roughly 10 yards behind his former quarterback. Murray didn’t skip a beat. It was the only noise throughout the Everest Center for nearly 36 minutes other than the whistling of Murray’s spiral. Murray finished 64 of 70 on his passes (Baker Mayfield went 62 of 70 at his pro day last year), making all his throws from the pocket. He missed three deep balls and two out-routes, and Myles Tease had the lone drop
GEORGE STOIA • @GEORGESTOIA
Former OU quarterback Kyler Murray throws the ball at OU’s football Pro Day March 13.
on a five-yard out. “He’s a phenomenal athlete and, I think, a very underrated pocket passer,” ESPN analyst Todd McShay said. “I think if he fits the system you want to run, then it works. As long as you’re utilizing him in a similar fashion the way OU Coach Lincoln Riley utilized him, then I think he is the best quarterback in the draft.” Riley’s scheme is one that’s quickly taking over the NFL. Kansas City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles (Rams) and other teams have restructured their offenses to fit the style of quarterbacks like Murray and replicate offenses like Riley’s. What separates Murray from other quarterbacks is exactly what the anonymous scouts said: He’s dynamic and versatile. While Murray opted out in running the 40-yard dash, there’s no one questioning his speed. And few, after his performance Wednesday, will question his arm. “He’s athletically so far beyond anything in this game, and that league either, at that position, there’s really honestly not any point (to run the 40-yard dash).” Riley said. “This guy’s skillset is good in any era, any offense, any time … You can go travel to any pro day you want to — you’re not going to see another throwing performance like
that.” He can beat you with his legs and he can beat you with his arm. In an era of football where dual-threat quarterbacks like Russell Wilson and Cam Newton are finding success at the highest level, Murray has the potential to stand above them all. “He doesn’t just throw the ball hard or strong in terms of his arm strength. He is a great passer of the football,” FOX College Football analyst Joel Klatt said. “He anticipates, he throws with touch, he understands the schematics and then you couple that with the fact that he’s as dynamic a runner as we’ve ever seen come out of the college level … That combination of that is too much to pass up.” On the field, the only issue that continues to come up is Murray’s height. Wednesday, Murray only weighed himself (205 pounds) after measuring at 5-foot-10 and 1/8th inches at the NFL Combine two weeks ago. Murray’s height didn’t seem to be an issue last season when he played behind an offensive line with an average height of 6-foot4, and most don’t believe it’ll be an issue in the NFL either. “The height doesn’t bother me because I’ve seen a 5-foot10 quarterback win the Super Bowl,” Klatt said, referring to Seattle’s Russell Wilson. “And I think Kyler is a better passer and
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runner then what Russell Wilson was coming out of college.” And Riley put the height question to bed with the quote of the day. “How many 6-foot-5 quarterbacks have been drafted throughout the years and can’t play dead?” IMPRESSIVE. EXCEPTIONAL. Murray said — with a smile of course — that he never heard what NFL Network’s Charley Casserly said about his leadership and work ethic. Whether that’s believable or not, Murray has never been one to care much about the outside noise. And for many, including those who are and aren’t close with Murray, Casserly’s comments — in which he called Murray’s leadership and work ethic “below average” — aren’t even believable. “The leadership angle I don’t get at all. I don’t think it’s factual — 100 percent made up and totally fake,” Klatt said. “Because his leadership, to a man on the team, and to his coaching staff have been very good. He might not be on a soapbox giving a speech every single day, but that doesn’t necessarily qualify you as a leader. He leads by example, he’s a very strong leader, a positive leader — candidly, I don’t know where that came from and I thought it was totally false.”
While Murray wasn’t the center of attention until the end of the day, everyone in attendance — the 100-plus credentialed media and the 60-plus league personnel — had one eye on the other athletes’ performance and the other on Murray. His poise was impressive and exceptional. “From what I’ve seen, his demeanor is what stands out,” the anonymous league executive said as he watched Murray interact with former teammates. “And people want to talk about his height, but that’s not a problem. You can’t measure heart and desire, though. And he has that. I know that.” Murray was his usual self Wednesday — cool, calm and collected. Through it all, he was relaxed, smiling and joking with his former teammates. He even greeted Trey Sermon and Tanner Schafer with a wet willy. A f t e r h i s w o rko u t, w h i c h didn’t start until 12:45 p.m., and a meeting with the New York Giants, Murray strolled into his what was likely his last press conference in Norman. He hinted at talking to Kliff Kingsbury, said he would run a 4.3 40-yard dash and joked about Casserly. He didn’t give into the pressure of making a comment he would later regret, wanting no part of the leadership question and quickly telling the media to “ask my teammates.” Which brings us to Cody Ford. What kind of leader is Kyler Murray? “His leadership skills are kind of different. He’s not going to yell every five seconds. He’ll yell when he needs to, he’ll get on somebody’s butt when he needs to,” Ford said. “I can recall against Texas, he’s getting hit a lot. I’ve never seen a guy get hit like that and never complain to his O-line. But we knew we needed to get the job done, which I feel like we did… “ Bu t f o r h i m n o t t o s ay a word to us besides, ‘Let’s get it, let’s go’ — no complaining — showed what kind of leader he is and will be for a long time.”
George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu
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• March 14-23, 2019
NEWS
Nick Hazelrigg, news managing editor dailynews@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily
Gallogly gives financial update OUHSC, OU’s Norman campus in positive cash flow SCOTT KIRKER @scott_kirker
NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg
O U P r e s i d e n t Ja m e s Gallogly announced at the Board of Regents meeting Wednesday that OU’s Norman campus and Health Sciences Center are now positive in cash flow at this point in the fiscal year. The board met to discu ss nu m e rou s ag e n da items, including the allocation of the Student Activity Fee and various awards to members of the OU community. Leslie RainboltForbes was elected chair of the board to begin the
meeting. C. Renzi Stone was also appointed as the new vice chair. Gallogly said “actual financials” for the university have became positive on the Norman campus and at the Health Sciences Center. “That’s the $33 million of savings we’ve found showing up in the bottom line,” Gallogly said. “We have done the things we needed to do and that has allowed us to have the cash.” Gallogly said these savings have lead to an opportunity to create cost-saving strategies and be able to increase faculty compensation, as well as increasing research at the university. ZHENG QU/THE DAILY The regents met in OU President James Gallogly listens to speakers at the Board of Regents meeting March 13 on t h e O U A r m o r y , w h i c h OU’s campus. Rainbolt-Forbes and Gallogly said was both an passed away. Both also of renovation plans for the Other agenda items inhomage to Bill Burgess, a said the choice was partic- armory that the board later cluding the awards and former regent who recently ularly appropriate because considered at the meeting. the Student Activity Fee
allocation were approved as put before the board. Ra i n b o l t- Fo r b e s a l s o said she could not comment on the ongoing investigation into former OU President David Boren. The regents also recognized the 2019 organizers of Soonerthon, as well as Raymond Cohlmia, dean of OU’s College of Dentistry, and Thanh Truong, a firstyear dental student who received his undergraduate from OU and once received dental services from the Oklahoma Mission of Mercy, a program run by the college. Scott Kirker stk@ou.edu
Nick Hazelrigg
hazelriggn@gmail.com
Board of Regents elects new chair, vice chair Leslie RainboltForbes, Renzi Stone officially appointed JORDAN MILLER @jordanrmillerr
O U B o a rd o f Re g e nt s members Leslie RainboltForbes and C. Renzi Stone were officially elected as chair and vice-chair of the Board at wednesday’s Board of Regents meeting. R a i n b o l t- Fo r b e s h a d acted as chair of the Board since former chair Clay Bennett’s resignation from
the Board at the Regents’ January meeting. RainboltFo r b e s a l s o p re v i ou s l y served as vice chair of the Board. Chris Purcell was also elected to serve as the executive secretary of the Board, a position she has been re-elected to since 1992, according to a press release. R a i n b o l t- Fo r b e s w a s initially appointed to the Board in 2006 by former Gov. Brad Henry and was appointed in 2013 by former Gov. Mary Fallin. She also received her her medical degree from the OU College of Medicine, and
taught and practiced pediatric dermatology there until retiring from practice to join the Board. Stone was appointed by Fallin in 2015 and is currently the chairman and CEO of OKC-headquartered integrated marketing communications agency Saxum. Stone earned a degree in history from OU and also played for the OU men’s basketball team from 1996 to 1999. Jordan Miller
jordan.r.miller-1@ou.edu
Senator criticizes Stitt’s recent regent selection George Young says Oklahoman would have been better NICK HAZELRIGG @nickhazelrigg
A member of Oklahoma’s Legislative Black Caucus criticized Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s recent selection of Eric Stevenson to the OU Board of Regents. Oklahoma Sen. George Young, D-Oklahoma City, expressed displeasure in an interview with News4 that Stitt did not choose someone who lives in Oklahoma for the position. Stevenson, an OU alumnus who lives in Columbus, Ohio, said he plans to fly back to Oklahoma for every Board of Regents meeting using his own money. Young said the Legislative
Black Caucus sent Stitt a variety of recommendations, all of whom currently live in Oklahoma. “We sent a list of individuals who we thought would be very amenable not only to the administration but actually have an idea of what’s happening on campus,” Young said. Stitt said during Stevenson’s announcement ceremony March 1 that he was the right person for the job regardless of where he lived, but joked it would be better if he lived in Oklahoma. “The guy is going to be a fantastic regent — that’s why I selected him. The fact that he’s African-American is just an absolute bonus,” Stitt said. “He’s the right person for this job. But he happens to be African-American.” Young said someone more local to Oklahoma would be
able to better respond to issues on campus. “If there is something happening on that campus, someone would be around and know and understand what’s going on,” Young said. “They would have a better response to it.” Young told News4 he believed Stevenson’s selection simply fell in line with what the administration wants, not the welfare of students. “This is another guy who falls in line with what the administration wants, and that is, ‘We’re looking at the bottom line at OU,’ and not at the development of students as citizens and individuals,” Young said. Nick Hazelrigg
hazelriggn@gmail.com
JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY
OU Regent Eric Stevenson speaks at a press conference at the Oklahoma Capitol March 1.
ZHENG QU/THE DAILY
Leslie Rainbolt-Forbes and C. Renzi Stone were elected chair and vice chair of the OU Board of Regents at the meeting March 13.
NEWS
March 14-23, 2019 •
Venezuelan crisis hits home OU students from Venezuela struggle away from family
George Stoia Sports Editor Siandhara Bonnet Culture Editor
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Nelson Barrios, a mechanical engineering exchange student, and Ariana Paz, computer science senior, outside Copeland Hall March 13. Their home country of Venezuela is facing widespread power outages as a result of ongoing civil strife.
“You can actually trace the shape and everything.” For Nelson Barrios, a mechanical engineering exchange student, it is strange to still go to class every day while his friends at his home university are not able to, he said. “They told me that the classes right now are suspended until the situation with the energy is fixed,” Barrios said. “I don’t know if, when I’m able to come back to my country, the situation is going to be optimal to continue (my education).” Paz is also distracted from school and work by the events of the past few days. “I’ve been trying to sit down to do my taxes — I haven’t done them,” Paz said. “I just can’t concentrate. I tried to go to class, and I had
to leave class … I just can’t take this, because it’s too much normality surrounding me. Maybe my body’s here, but my heart and my head are in Venezuela.” What makes the situation more difficult is that many American students are not even aware of what is going on, Paz and Barrios said. “It’s very tough for me, because I try to be understanding (that) it’s not people’s fault that they don’t know what’s happening,” Paz said. “But at the same t i m e, I w i s h t h e y w e re aware. Sometimes if I’m brave enough, I share with them.” However, the Venezuelan community at OU encourages Paz. OU has 26 enrolled Venezuelan students as of spring 2019, said Angela
Startz from the Office of Public Affairs in an email. Paz and Barrios are not the only ones who have been unable to contact their families. Power is beginning to come back to some areas of Caracas, but it is still spotty at best, Barrios said. His family only has a couple hours of electricity every once in a while. Barrios will head home in May but hopes to come back to OU for his master’s if he is able to finish his undergraduate degree. With the current events, he’s not sure if he’ll be able to. Paz is currently president of Association Friends of Venezuela, works at Code Sooner and is working on an accelerated master’s degree. She said she would love to visit Venezuela again
but thinks it is not a good idea right now. “I would go in the blink of an eye,” she said. “But I think now, how things are, it would be a bad decision for me and my family. I could even get killed. What’s the point?” Some restaurants in Venezuela are distributing food to people that would have spoiled otherwise. Paz says this helps her believe her family will be all right. “I would like to believe that that means there are more good people than bad people, because at this point in time you just have to try to see the light, honestly,” she said. Molly Kruse
molly.kruse@ou.edu
Stormwater tax to hit April 2 ballot Utility fee would address flooding, other water issues
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DREW HUTCHINSON @drethegirl
Norman will soon vote on a stormwater utility fee that could help fix infrastructural issues in the city, but some have called the tax regressive and refuse to vote yes, while others believe this is Norman’s last chance to fix the problem. Stormwater has been an ongoing issue in Norman, a n d P ro p o s i t i o n 3 , t h e stormwater utility fee on the April 2 ballot, is supposed to help solve it. If passed, it would raise $4.2 million annually to help fund street sweepers, camera trucks and other equipment to survey and mitigate stormwater damage. “This is the biggest problem in Norman by far in my o p i n i o n — f l o o d i n g and water quality— and the problem isn’t going to go away,” said Stephen Tyler Holman, Nor man City Council Ward 7 member. “It’s only going to get worse.” With the proposition, residents would pay a monthly fee based on the size of their first-floor living area. The monthly residential rates are divided into three tiers: $3 for 1,196 square feet or less; $6 for 1,197-1,983 square feet ; and $9 for 1,984 or more square feet. Monthly rates for non-residential buildings, such as businesses, are divided into four tiers: $12 for 0.62 acres or less; $45 for 0.63-2.11 acres; $80 for 2.12-13.97 acres; and $160 for 13.98 acres or more. St e p h e n E l l i s, a n O U philosophy professor who also studies economic psychology, performed his own calculations and said the tax isn’t progressive
Nick Hazelrigg News Managing Editor Julia Weinhoffer Engagement Editor
MOLLY KRUSE
A r i a n a Pa z t e x t s h e r mother on WhatsApp every day without fail. But on Thursday, March 7, she received no reply. Paz, a computer science senior, is from Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. She came to the U.S. in 2014 on a tennis scholarship because of the dangerous political climate in her country, and eventually ended up at OU. Since Paz came here, the situation in Venezuela has escalated, with the latest crisis coming in the form o f a w i d e s p re a d p ow e r outage across the country Thursday night, that lasted for several days and disrupted communications. Hospitals have lost power, people have to drink contaminated water, food has gone bad and gasoline is scarce, according to the AP. “I would like to think I’m awesome at compartmentalizing, but this specific thing that just happened has actually shaken me a lot,” Paz said. Paz’s family is very closeknit and keeps in touch via a group chat where they crack jokes and update each other on their lives. When she couldn’t reach anyone, she turned to Twitter to find out what was happening. That was how she found out that the power — including phone service, running water and electricity — was out in most of her country. “If you looked at the map at night, that specific night, the whole Venezuelan territory was black,” Paz said.
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Norman citizens will vote on a stormwater utility fee on the April 2 ballot.
enough. Ellis was also an outspoken opponent of the University North Park plan last summer. By his numbers, houses in the top tier, which he estimates compose 66.48 percent of the area, will pay only 37 percent of the cost. The houses in the bottom tiers will pay the other 63 percent, he said. “So even though the fee goes up with each tier, it doesn’t go up enough to cover the amount of stormwater created by that tier,” Ellis said. “So that’s the axe I have to grind with it.” For non-residential buildings, Ellis estimates that the largest users compose about 84 percent of the area but would pay about 19 percent of the cost. And users in the bottom three tiers, which compose less of the area, would pay for the rest, Ellis said. “When you look at the distribution of who creates the most stormwater, the largest users create a ton, and smallest users create almost nothing,” Ellis said. Ellis said the $4.2 million that the fee could generate would do nothing more than close a gap — it wouldn’t add to the city’s general fund. But he said charging more to bigger — and likely richer — houses
could do more. “Let’s charge everybody what they’re worth and actually get some money and get some general funding,” Ellis said. But Holman, whose ward experiences some of the worst flooding in Norman, said sometimes larger houses are surrounded by green space, which is permeable and doesn’t create as much stormwater. “In the case of Toby Keith, for example, his house ... is completely surrounded by green space,” Holman said. “So what is the benefit of that? What credits should he be given?” Holman said he knows the plan isn’t perfect, but he said the fee likely wouldn’t be regressive when coupled with Proposition 2, the stormwater bond also on the ballot. He said this has to do with property taxes. “The bigger your property and the more valuable your property, the more you’re going to pay in property taxes for that bond,” Holman said. Both Holman and Ellis were proponents of the last stormwater utility fee proposal, which Holman said failed by 70 percent in 2016. “We tried the most equ i t a b l e a n d f a i r p l a n ,” Holman said. “That’s what
PHOTO AND DATA VIA VISIONFORNORMAN.COM
I voted for. I worked really hard to try to get that plan passed, but it did not.” Holman said City C ou n c i l n e e d e d a p l a n that residents would vote for this time, and that’s why the council decided to go with a tiered system. Proposition 3 also features a 30 percent cost reduction for low income residents, who Holman said are most affected by stor mwater flooding. “(Low-income residents) cannot afford to wait another year or two years or three years for the City Council to come up with the perfect plan, because it’s not going to happen,” Holman said. “My bill is going to be $3 a month, and ... some of the biggest houses, they’re only going to be paying $9, but if I only have to pay $3 a month to fix the number one problem in the entire city of Norman, I think that’s a pretty cheap cost to ask.” Austin Reid, a recent OU graduate, signed a lease at Hampton Woods apartments in 2017. Reid said his unit flooded one month in. This apartment complex is in Holman’s ward. “It was those nights where everything would be flooded ... in Norman,” Reid said. “It wouldn’t just
be my apartment area. It was like one of those nights where you kind of have to find new ways to drive home.” When Reid moved out, he said he found black mold growing under his bookcases. “ T hat w a s o n e o f t h e biggest frustrations that I had when I was living in Norman for five years,” Reid said. If Proposition 3 passes, OU would not be exempt from payment. If the last stormwater proposition would have passed, OU’s bill would have been in the tens-of-thousands per month, Holman said. Annahlyse Meyer, chief communications officer for Norman, said the city will negotiate prices with the university if Proposition 3 passes in April. “In the same way that we do negotiations with OU on other utilities, that’s how we’ll handle this stormwater utility, should it pass,” Meyer said. Meyer said the university would be considered neither residential or non-residential, and all pricing would be separate.
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VOL.104, NO. 17
Drew Hutchinson
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• March 14 - 23, 2019
CULTURE
Siandhara Bonnet, culture editor dailyent@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/culture • Twitter: @OUDailyCulture
Q&A with chef Rick Bayless
OU’s Distinguished Alumni recipient talks Mexican food SAM TONKINS
@samanthatonkins
Nationally renowned chef Rick Bayless received the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award from the OU College of Arts and Sciences on March 8. Bayless is one of four recipients of the award. He graduated from OU in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. Bayless is known for television show “Mexico – One Plate at a Time,� where Bayless visits different regions in Mexico to learn about local cuisine and how to prepare specific dishes. He also won the first season of the cooking competition “Top Chef Masters.� According to his website, Bayless has received many awards, such as the Julia Child Foundation Award and several James Beard Awards, and his Chicago restaurant Topolobampo received a Michelin Star in 2011. As one of the recipients of the award, Bayless gave a lecture on March 7 about his career and his time at OU. The Daily spoke with Bayless during his visit, and here’s what he had to say: Q: How did growing up in OKC and around your family’s barbecue restaurant impact your relationship with food? A: I don’t think I would be where I am if I had not
grown up in the restaurant business in Oklahoma City. You know, I alluded to this (during my lecture), but I didn’t go down the path very much, but I learned about the importance of regional cooking. Regional cooking in the United States is fading. It used to be a little more prevalent, but it was never prevalent like it is in Mexico. When I got to Mexico, I could really understand the importance of regional distinctions between the food and how the people in Mexico are so incredibly proud of their regional cooking. I could understand it because I grew up in regional barbecue, and we were very proud of our regional barbecue. For me, I could understand Mexico in a way that some other people could only sort of think about, but they didn’t understand it like in their bones because they hadn’t ever lived in that.
Q: What made you fall in love with Mexican food? A: I didn’t fall in love with Mexican food right away. I fell in love with Mexican culture. I was really interested in how, when learning Spanish, I suddenly understood the culture different. I was able to understand the culture much more broadly because I spoke some of the language. I could go to Mexico, and I could talk to people. I could understand. Then I would think, “Oh, I think the way they said that indicates something more than I can understand.� I would talk to people
about phrasing, and why do they say this, what does it reflect about their culture. I got really into thinking about how it’s a culture reflected in its language. Spanish is a really good example of the fact that if you grew up in Puerto Rico, you speak a very different Spanish than you do in Mexico or in Venezuela, or in Peru, or in Argentina, or in Spain. So, all of those different cultures are reflected in the language. That’s what led me into linguistics, is how to study the cultural influences and how does a culture reflect itself in its language. I was really into language and culture. But then, all of a sudden I realized that the tools that you would use to study language and its reflection of the culture are exactly the same tools that you would use to study food and its reflection of the culture. So that’s why I was sort of poised to be able to switch focus from language to food but still be able to do research because it’s the same basic approach. Yeah, you’ve got to read some more literature and different things like that, but it is really interesting how parallel those paths are.
PHOTO VIA DREW BERNARD, OU MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Rick Bayless, nationally-renowned chef and OU 1974 graduate, speaking in a lecture at OU March 7 afterreceiving the OU College of Arts and Sciences 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award.
able to have those conversations with people, and if I was waiting for an interpreter to help me with stuff, it would have been watered down. I wouldn’t have been able to get to the good stuff. It’s kind of funny because there are people who say, “Oh, you’re a chef and you did all of this education in Spanish and linguistics. A lot of good that did you.� And I would say to them, “No, I couldn’t do what I am doing now. I use what I learned when I was in college and graduate school, I use that stuff every single day of my life.� They look at me funny and say, “But you’re a chef.� Oh, but I’m not just a cook at a stove. No, I’m doing research. I’m interacting with people. I’m investigating things. I’m doing all of that to make my chef work better.
Q: You majored in Spanish here at OU. How has that training and education shaped your career? A: I could never have done my work if I hadn’t majored in Spanish because you have to be able to speak the language if you’re going to do the work Q: What is it like to have a I did, because all of my work restaurant with a Michelin was done in Spanish. I was star?
A: I don’t really think about that very much. The restaurant business is a very interesting thing. The restaurant business is a daily business, so if you ever find yourself saying, “we’re great because we have won all these awards,� then you’ll lose everything really fast. So, even though I know we’ve won a lot of awards, all I’m thinking about is can we do better today than we did yesterday? What would make us better today? Because that keeps you on your toes, when you’re really trying your best to be better all the time. Q: What advice do you have for current OU students? A: I will say, “Follow your interests.� If you’re taking some classes and they’re really interesting to you, take more of them. Follow that thing, because everything you learn is going to come back and
inform what you do later in life ... Even if you’re not planning on following that as a career, you’ve set yourself up with so many options for the future that you wouldn’t have if you didn’t follow that interest. To me, I say break out of the single path idea. Lots of students come to college and they’re just like OK, I’m just going to go down this one path. I’m going to take all my requirements for all of this stuff, and then I’ve got to take some electives and well, what’s easy, and I say, really think about all those electives and everything really carefully as to what you are interested in, even if they don’t seem related at all, just follow it, because that will enrich your life so much that it will give you more possibilities for the future. That’s my advice to students all the time. Sam Tonkins
samantha.tonkins@ou.edu
School of Music announces new scholarship Aspire Fund will fund two students in 2019-20 year KATHRYN WARD @kathryn_ward7
The OU School of Music announced the creation of a newly endowed School of Music scholarship fund March 5. The Aspire Fund will create new scholarships for incoming undergraduate music majors. The fund is open and currently accepting donations of any
amount. The fund will award scholarships to two incoming music students for the 2019-20 academic year, said Roland Barrett, director of School of Music. The fund will be used to generate revenue for general scholarships, Barrett said. Barrett said the school is asking friends, alumni and supporters around the world to donate to the fund and provide the money for future scholarships. “The Aspire Fund is a
tremendous opportunity to invest in a students future,� Barrett said. Barrett said the school requires additional scholarship resources. He said he hopes the fund will grow and continue his legacy after he has left the department. More information about the fund and how to donate can be found at the School of Music’s website. Kathryn Ward
kathryn.v.ward-1@ou.edu
The OU School of Music announced a new scholarship fund March 5.
Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg March 14, 2019
ACROSS 1 Fanatical 6 TV host Kelly 10 Jigsaw puzzle side 14 “Fame� star Cara 15 Chatted via AOL, say 16 Krill, for a whale 17 *Discover statements 20 Villain’s counterpart 21 “On the Basis of ___� 22 Biscotti flavoring 23 List-ending abbr. 24 Dallas baller 25 Headphones brand 27 *Liger and others 33 Malia or Sasha 35 Prize for Malala Yousafzai 36 Score such as 1-1 37 Opportunity rover org. 38 Some determine eye color 39 Stash (away) 40 Quattro minus uno 41 Nigeria’s largest city 42 ___ Hopkins 43 *Falstaff’s voice 46 At any point
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.
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.
3/14
47 “___ too shabby� 48 Birds-feather connection 51 Mad Hatter’s guest 54 Musical gift 55 Gorillas, e.g. 56 *Alcopop selections 60 Lump of earth 61 Dutch cheese 62 Myanmar, once 63 Not nuts 64 Certain Scouts 65 Hair feature “woven� in each starred answer DOWN 1 Nouveau ___ 2 French stop sign word 3 Whiskey follower, at times 4 Prefix with “China� 5 ___ gratia 6 Popular Asian condiment 7 Big-screen format 8 According to 9 Interject 10 “Lucky You� rapper 11 Brat’s home?
12 Women, in Westerns 13 Someone ___ (not you) 18 Ivan or Peter 19 Pesto herb 24 Management deg. 25 “My Funny Valentine� musical 26 Binary digits 28 Singer Sumac 29 Charity supporter 30 Listening to an aria, say 31 Simba, e.g. 32 Hems but doesn’t haw 33 Where to get “Lost�? 34 Naked 38 Comedian Kaplan
39 Cain or Abel, for Eve 41 Oftenchopped meat 42 Write quickly 44 The aughts, for one 45 Ripped 49 Nuclear reactor creator 50 Syrian president 51 Fundamentals, briefly 52 “___ Land� (2016 film) 53 Tappable picture 54 Bidding war site 55 Cote d’___ 57 Ball girl? 58 Vow before a kiss 59 Recede, as the tide
PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER
3/13 3/11
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“Changing Locks� by Stu Ockman
VIA ASPIRE WEBSITE
HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Little by little, you will gain ground if you manage to dodge the emotional drama going on around you. Use your knowledge and experience to bring about positive change. Offer suggestions, but don’t take charge or get involved in other people’s affairs. Meddling will lead to mayhem. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Listen carefully and decipher what’s actually being said. Exaggeration and forcefulness should not be allowed to sway your opinion. Confusion and delays can be expected. Question everyone and everything.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- One step forward and three steps back. Don’t rush or make sudden changes without thinking matters through. Look at the big picture and make subtle changes. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Your ability to find what and who you need to expand your interests will lead you to success. Network and share with like-minded people. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Look at every angle and contemplate outcomes. If you take your time, you will find that you will change your mind several times before coming up with the best route.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Don’t let the past limit what you can do in the future. Put old problems to rest so you can find new ways to fill your life with worthwhile activities and interesting people.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- You’ll slide into home plate if you give your all to a creative pursuit. Whether forging a closer relationship with someone or honing a talent or skill, much will be accomplished.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Your changing attitude will fit right in with the current economic climate. More time spent organizing and preparing for new possibilities will pay off, as long as you don’t present your plans prematurely.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Trust facts, not what someone tells you. Exaggeration, indulgence and emotional manipulation should not be allowed to influence the choices you make. Don’t reveal secrets or spread gossip.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Spend more time honing your skills and making sure you can live up to your claims. Sticking to your priorities will ensure that you don’t fall short and damage your reputation.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Put family and domestic matters first. Listen to information offered from experts, but make decisions keeping in mind everyone who will be affected by them.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Creativity mixed with stamina and common sense will lead you to the winner’s circle. The changes you make will add to your popularity and gain you needed help.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -Personal pampering and taking time to relax should be on your agenda. A break will give you time to assess your position and consider how you should move forward.
March 14-23, 2019 •
SPORTS
5
George Stoia, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Senior quarterback Jalen Hurts practices with OU coach Lincoln Riley during spring practice March 7.
Jalen Hurts emerges as leader Alabama transfer impresses on field, in weight room TARIK MASRI
@Tarik_mofficial
It ’s be en tw o months since Oklahoma transfer quarterback Jalen Hurts announced he would be playing for the Sooners for his senior season. But in his short time with the team, Hurts has already emerged as a leader on the Sooners’ offense.
“He’s been where we’re trying to go so, he knows what it takes, and a lot of us follow his lead,” said junior wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Hurts passed for more than 2,000 yards in his first two seasons with the Crimson Tide before losing the job to Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Hurts has played on three College Football Playoff teams and has won two national championships. As a junior, the Houston native threw for 765 yards on just 70 attempts and eight
touchdowns. The Sooners’ coaching staff knew the caliber of player they were going to get. “Like we’ve seen on tape, he’s very capable of doing everything we want him to do in the passing game,” coach Lincoln Riley said. “We don’t have to do anything with him physically — that guy can throw the ball. He’s just got to learn how we want everything done and getting on the same page with our receivers and getting on the same page with our scheme and what we want.”
Despite being with the team for such a short time, Hurts is expected to have an impact on the team immediately and become a leader on the Oklahoma offense. “He’s progressing fast — there’s no doubt about it — but it’ll be a race to see how much he can progress because he does have such a short time here,” Riley said. In February, a tweet by Oklahoma Football’s official Twitter account showed Hurts squatting 600 pounds in the weight room. His strength has not only surprised Sooner fans, but
Hurts’ teammates as well. “I heard he could squat a lot of weight, but that’s a lot of weight and he did it, so it was pretty crazy,” said junior tight end Grant Calcaterra. Lamb says that he likes what he’s seen out of Hurts so far. “He’s a pretty smooth guy,” Lamb said. “He’s getting real comfortable. That’s what you like to see out of a transfer honestly, just getting comfortable very quick, and he’s just been doing a great job of fitting in.” With just over a month
of spring practice left until the spring game on April 13, the offense will have plenty to work on to replace Heisman-winning quarterback Kyler Murray — four of five starting offensive linemen and their top receiver in Marquise Brown. Hurts’ coaches and teammates have indicated that he has been progressing quickly, but will need some time to get comfortable playing in Riley’s scheme. Tarik Masri
tarikmasri1@ou.edu
O-line given chance to shine at OU Pro Day Four offensive linemen expected to be drafted TARIK MASRI
@Tarik_mofficial
More than 100 members of the media and NFL scouts from ever y team in the league flooded Oklahoma’s practice facilities on Wednesday, and no doubt, the main attraction was former Sooners’ quarterback Kyler Murray. But with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner choosing not to participate in any drills besides throwing, the often-overlooked offensive line was given a chance to shine. Former OU running back Rodney Anderson said that the hype surrounding the event wasn’t just benefiting Murray. “It’s honestly really cool. I feel like this kind of exposure is good for every athlete that’s participating. It only helps so it’s a really cool thing,” Anderson said. Oklahoma had four offensive lineman participate in the pro day — Cody Ford, Ben Powers, Dru Samia and Bobby Evans — and all four are expected to be taken at some point in the 2019 NFL Draft. To put that into perspective, the Sooners have had four total linemen drafted since 2013. Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh understands how rare it is to have four players from one position group drafted in a single year. “It’s a credit to those guys,” Bedenbaugh said Tuesday. “I really don’t know the last
time … I think it’s happened four or five times throughout the history of the combine. You’re just not gonna be in that situation a bunch.” Former OU lineman Cody Ford feels that the success of the position group says more about the program. “I think it shows you what this program brings to the table. I think it shows what this program is all about,” Ford said. “I also believe it shows you what our coach is about, coach Bedenbaugh. He produces people who are ready to perform at the next level, at the highest level possible.” Ford is predicted by many to be the first of the four taken in the draft. Some even have him getting picked in the first round. The Lousiana native posted a 4.84 in the 20-yard shuttle and had 21 reps on the bench press. “It felt like home. Usually we do our business in Memorial Stadium; this time it was in Everest,” Ford said. “It didn’t change, it felt like home. We just went back to our roots that we were taught which is dominating drills.” One thing that kept being mentioned by former players at the pro day is that the offensive line is like a family. “All these guys are like my brothers,” said former OU lineman Orlando Brown. “Especially the O-linemen with the amount of time that I spent with them. They’re all brothers, and I’m just excited for the opportunity they got to show off in front of these teams and do those different things. I’m looking to see what they do at the next level, too.” When asked about the close relationship the group
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Former OU offensive lineman Cody Ford participates in the bench press during OU’s football Pro Day March 13. Ford is one of four OU linemen expected to be taken in the 2019 NFL Draft.
shares, Ford says he doesn’t expect things to change now that they aren’t teammates anymore. “For me, growing up, you know, an only child, as soon as I got here, especially Ben, Bobby, Dru — same class. Those are my brothers for life,” Ford said. “I’d do anything for them. I know they’d do anything for me. Those are my brothers for real. We
won the Joe Moore (Award) this year; we’re all going to get matching tattoos that’ll last forever. The relationship that we built here, that’ll last forever. In the near future, we’re already talking about vacations. So we’re definitely going to keep this relationship going for a long time” When asked how the four lineman are going to be able to choose a single tattoo, the
6-foot-4 junior laughed. “ It w a s n ’ t v e r y ha rd . (Creed Humphrey) is in that tattoo conversation as well,” Ford said. “We’re just going to take part of the trophy, put it on us with our name and jersey number on the back and just go from there. It’ll be pretty sweet.” Many scouts and members of the media may have been disappointed with how
much Murray participated at pro day, but the media frenzy surrounding him also may have served an important role in bringing attention to the historic draft class the Sooners have produced this year. Tarik Masri
tarikmasri1@ou.edu
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• March 14-23, 2019
SPORTS
George Stoia, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu • phone: 405-325-3666 oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports
How Sooners fared in OU Pro Day events: Thirteen former players showed out on Wednesday STAFF REPORTS
Oklahoma had 13 former players participating at its pro day Wednesday, including Heisman Trophy quarterback Kyler Murray. The Heisman Trophy winner was the main attraction, but for the other 12 Sooners, it was a chance to show why teams should draft them, too. See their results below: BROAD JUMP Rodney Anderson: DNP Amani Bledsoe: 9’-7” Curtis Bolton: 9’-11” Marquise Brown: DNP Bobby Evans: 8’-8” Cody Ford: DNP Carson Meier: 9’-8” Kyler Murray: DNP Ben Powers: 8’-1” Dru Samia: DNP Austin Seibert: DNP Marcelias Sutton: DNP Myles Tease: 10’-2” VERTICAL Rodney Anderson: DNP Amani Bledsoe: 31” Curtis Bolton: 38” Marquise Brown: DNP Bobby Evans: 27 1/2” Cody Ford: DNP Carson Meier: 34 1/2”
Kyler Murray: DNP Ben Powers: 29” Dru Samia: DNP Austin Seibert: DNP Marcelias Sutton: DNP Myles Tease: 35” 40-YARD DASH Rodney Anderson: DNP Amani Bledsoe: 4.91 Curtis Bolton: 4.53 Marquise Brown: DNP Bobby Evans: DNP Cody Ford: DNP Carson Meier: 4.87 Kyler Murray: DNP Ben Powers: DNP Dru Samia: DNP Austin Seibert: DNP Marcelias Sutton: DNP Myles Tease: 4.55 20-YARD SHUTTLE RB Rodney Anderson: DNP DL Amani Bledsoe: 4.55 LB Curtis Bolton: 4.36 Marquise Brown: DNP Bobby Evans: 4.73 Cody Ford: 4.84 Carson Meier: 4.70 Kyler Murray: DNP Ben Powers: 4.87 Dru Samia: 4.75 Austin Seibert: DNP Marcelias Sutton: DNP Myles Tease: 4.37 3-CONE DRILL Rodney Anderson: DNP Amani Bledsoe: 7.74 Curtis Bolton: 7.18 Marquise Brown: DNP Bobby Evans: 8.03
Cody Ford: DNP Carson Meier: 7.66 Kyler Murray: DNP Ben Powers: DNP Dru Samia: 8.05 Austin Seibert: DNP Marcelias Sutton: DNP Myles Tease: 7.41 60-YARD SHUTTLE Rodney Anderson: DNP Amani Bledsoe: DNP Curtis Bolton: 11.55 Marquise Brown: DNP Bobby Evans: DNP Cody Ford: DNP Carson Meier: 12.44 Kyler Murray: DNP Ben Powers: DNP Dru Samia: DNP Austin Seibert: DNP Marcelias Sutton: DNP Myles Tease: 11.86 BENCH PRESS Rodney Anderson: DNP Amani Bledsoe: 25 reps Curtis Bolton: 17 reps Marquise Brown: DNP Bobby Evans: DNP Cody Ford: 20 reps Carson Meier: 19 reps Kyler Murray: DNP Ben Powers: DNP Dru Samia: DNP Austin Seibert: DNP Marcelias Sutton: 18 reps Myles Tease: 8 reps Staff Reports
AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY
Former OU wide receiver Myles Tease participates in the vertical jump at OU’s football Pro Day March 13.
Anderson, Brown at Pro Day despite injuries Both players still confident about chances in draft VIC REYNOLDS @vicareynolds
Two of the most notable names that attended Oklahoma’s Pro Day did not participate in any events: running back Rodney Anderson and wide receiver Marquise Brown. Anderson suffered a torn ACL against UCLA on Sept. 8. The injur y sidelined him for the rest of the season, but he says he is making good progress on his recovery. “I’m getting close (to being fully healthy). I’ve been really conservative with my knee just to make sure everything goes good so I can be 100 percent for the season,” Anderson said. “I’ll definitely be 100 percent ready on the field by late June or early July.” Anderson’s histor y of injury makes it difficult to assess where he will be selected in the 2019 NFL Draft. He is still sure that a team will take a chance on
him. “ I ’ m c o n f i d e n t ,” Anderson said of his chances of being picked. “ Mayb e it ’s not what it would’ve been if I didn’t get hurt, but I don’t really think about that. It is what it is. I’m just working as hard as I can to get that opportunity.” The other name who sat out was “Hollywood” Brown, who led the Sooners in receptions and receiving yards last season. Brow n hur t his lower left leg in the Big 12 Championship against Te x a s. H e s a i d t h a t h e should be able to be fully healthy by rookie minicamp on May 11-13. Despite his injury, he is still slated to be a first or second round pick in the draft. Teams with interest in Brown have mostly just been concerned with his injury health. “When I talk to the coaches and GMs, they really just say get healthy and don’t rush it,” Brown said. Vic Reynolds
victor.reynolds@ou.edu
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Former OU running back Rodney Anderson cheers during the bench press at OU’s football Pro Day March 13.
Austin Seibert wows at Oklahoma’s Pro Day Kicker finished career tied for 3rd-highest scorer VIC REYNOLDS @vicareynolds
In the last four seasons, Oklahoma has had two consistencies: winning Big 12 championships and having Austin Seibert line up for kicks and punts. Seibert finished his career tied for the third-highest scorer in college football history, and is looking to continue his career in the NFL.
He had an impressive be competitive and want to showing at Wednesday’s Pro learn from older guys and Day that included a 55-yard veterans.” field goal. Unlike his time at Oklahoma, Seibert said he Vic Reynolds will only kick field goals and victor.reynolds@ou.edu kickoffs as a pro, not punts. Seibert, who is 5-feet-9AUSTIN SEIBERT inches, says that his height COLLEGE STATS lends him to be a better kicker than punter at the profesCareer FGM: sional level. “For kickers, it doesn’t 63 matter if you’re drafted or if Career FG%: you’re a free agent. You’re 79.7 going in, you’re gonna have Career points: a position battle,” Seibert 499 said. “So if I get drafted or if sports-reference.com I’m a free agent, I’m gonna
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Former OU kicker Austin Seibert kicks at OU’s football Pro Day March 13.