March 4-6, 2019

W E E K D AY E D I T I O N | M A R C H 4 - 6 , 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

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The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916

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Stitt appoints OU alum as regent Businessman looks to fill one of two vacancies on board

STAFF REPORTS

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced he would appoint businessman and OU alumnus

Eric Stevenson to fill one of two vacancies on the Board of Regents.

Stitt said he chose Stevenson to fill a vacancy on the board because of to his business experience and also to add diversity to the board.

Stitt lauded Stevenson’s business abilities during the press conference as the main reason

he selected him, but said the fact that Stevenson was black was a “bonus.”

“He knows how to climb the ladder,” Stitt said. “He’s extremely smart. 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. He’s the right person for this job, but he happens

to be African-American.”

Stitt said he wants to make the board more representative of the OU student body and be someone that students can look up to.

St e v e n s o n , a 5 5 - ye a r- o l d business executive living in Columbus, Ohio, said he would be flying to Oklahoma for board meetings using his own funds.

Sophomore Anastasia Webb performs her floor routine March 3. The top-ranked Sooners won over the second-ranked UCLA Bruins.

Stevenson said he looks forward to working with OU President James Gallogly.

“I’m really grateful for this opportunity from Gov. Stitt,” Stevenson said. “The opportunity to partner with President Gallogly and the other regents to make sure OU continues to See REGENT page 2

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

FLIPPING AWESOME

OU women’s gym secures narrow victory over No. 2 UCLA in front of record-breaking crowd at Lloyd Noble Center

A

huge win for gymnastics.

That’s what Oklahoma head coach K.J. Kindler called No. 1 Oklahoma’s 197.775197.575 win over No. 2 UCLA on Sunday afternoon at the Lloyd Noble Center. It was not just a tremendous win for her and the Sooners, but an even bigger win for gymnastics, as Kindler’s team competed in front of a record-breaking crowd of 10,177 (the attendance at Saturday’s men’s basketball game was 7,921).

In the world of college gymnastics, it doesn’t get any bigger than Sunday’s meet.

“Our sport has been through the wringer in the last year,” Kindler said. “To see the work these women put in, they’re phenomenal athletes. They’re stronger than most athletes are — upper body, lower body, core ... It’s really an amazing sport.

They’re some of the best athletes I’ve ever known.

“S o, yeah, a hug e w in for gymnastics.”

Oklahoma and UCLA put on a show from start to finish Sunday.

UCLA’s Kyla Ross started the meet with back-to-back perfect 10s on the bars and vault, while the Sooners, led by senior Brenna Dowell, gave stellar performances in the first two rotations.

UCLA’s Katelyn Ohashi stole the show — as she often does — on the floor, scoring a perfect 10 and tying the Lady Bruins with the Sooners going into the final rotation. Ohashi, who has become a viral sensation thanks to her brilliant floor routine, received as loud of an applause as

GEORGE STOIA • @GEORGE STOIA

Junior Maggie Nichols celebrates her performance on bars March 3.

anyone at the Lloyd Noble on Sunday.

“It was amazing,” Ohashi said.

“I really do feed off of the crowd.

So anytime I hear loud applause, it makes me more motivated. I soak it all in.”

Ohashi’s performance proved not to be enough, though, as Oklahoma received stellar performances from freshmen Olivia

Trautman and Emma LaPinta on the floor to secure a 197.775197.575 win.

Sunday, Oklahoma showed why it’s considered the country’s premier women’s gymnastics program. UCLA coach Valorie Field put it in the simplest of terms.

“K .J.,” Field said immediately when asked why OU is

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

consistently great. “I think K.J. has a system. She has a tremendous sense of integrity to her system. She doesn’t waver. She reminds me of Bill Belichick of the Patriots.”

After the meet, Kindler quickly grabbed the PA mic and asked Field to join her in the middle of the floor. Kindler thanked Field and UCLA, saying she was

thrilled both teams were able to compete in front of that type of crowd.

“It was amazing to come out and compete in front of that huge crowd,” junior Maggie Nichols said. “We work so hard, and it’s just so incredible to see all the fans come out and support us. I know, for me, when I go out and hit my perfect routine and hear the crowd cheering ... It’s just incredible and such an honor to compete in front of so many people.”

Oklahoma and UCLA’s battle was the second-most attended sporting event at the Lloyd Noble Center all year, only behind Bedlam men’s basketball on Jan. 5 (10,906). The meet definitely lived up to the hype, so much so that even Oklahoma football coach Lincoln Riley had to see it for himself. Sunday was an enormous step for not only OU, but the sport itself.

“When I first got here, the average attendance was 600 people,” Kindler said. “We have built a fanbase, but to double your highest attendance, that’s an explosion ... The schedule and the teams that are coming in here are the best in the country.

“People shouldn’t miss out.”

For the 10,177 people in attendance and the two teams competing, Sunday will be a day few forget. “ Wo w ,” Fi e l d s a i d a s s h e walked out of the press room.

“What an atmosphere.”

George Stoia

georgestoia@ou.edu

2

• March 4-6, 2019

NEWS REGENT: Continued from page 1

provide great access and affordability for all students who have great dreams like I did.”

The fact that the university is at one of its most tumultuous times in recent

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

histor y didn’t dissuade Stevenson from the job, he said, but instead made him eager to take on the challenge.

“The opportunity to c o m e h e re a n d ma k e a d i f f e re n c e i n t h e p la c e that changed my life — it doesn’t get any better than that,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson said he was anxious to learn more about racial issues on

campus following two incidents of blackface involving the university that took place in January.

Leslie Rainbolt-Forbes, the current chair of the board, said she was excited about the selection, calling Stevenson “a perfect fit.”

“He’s honed his skills ... at large and prestigious c o m p a n i e s a ro u n d t h e United States, and I have no doubt that these skills

will be invaluable to our board,” Rainbolt-Forbes said. “His experience in big corporate management as well as his outstanding national-level communications experience are going to be assets that will benefit all of us.”

Gallogly was not in attendance at the ceremony ,as Rainbolt-Forbes said he was performing his duties as “father of the bride” but

wanted to extend his greetings to Stevenson.

This is Stitt’s first appointment to the OU Board of Regents since taking office as governor in January.

The two vacancies opened as a result of Clay Bennett’s retirement due to health concerns and the death of former regent Bill Burgess in February. Stitt said he planned to fill the second vacancy in a timely

manner.

“I’ll turn my attention to the second (vacancy),” Stitt said. “I’d love to get it done by their next board meeting, but I don’t know if I’ll get it done by March 12.

It’s important that I get the right person even if it takes me a little bit longer.”

Staff Reports

Yearlong fundraiser wraps up Soonerthon raises awareness for Miracle Families WHITNEY CLEAR @whitneyclear

OU Campus Activities Council raised $900,226.19 in support of the Oklahoma C h i l d r e n ’s H o s p i t a l Foundation through its annual dance marathon. “ Yes we raised money for the Children’s Hospital Fo u n d a t i o n , b u t t h o s e numbers we dropped, they’re not just numbers,” said Colt Bennett, a fi nance and supply chain management junior and the Soonerthon executive chair. “They’re not dollars — they are literal lives saved. They are miracles made, and they’re the best thing I could ever fight for.”

Soonerthon is the annual philanthropy event held by CAC. It took place in the Sarkeys Fitness Center all day on March 2.

Last year, the event raised $1,004,970.18, which was a record-breaking amount for Soonerthon.

For months in advance, Soonerthon participants raised money leading up to the all-day event where they continued fundraising efforts with dancing, activities and hearing speakers affiliated with the OU and Oklahoma community.

Nate McMillen, a mechanical engineering freshman on the Soonerthon

KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY

Soonerthon executive officers hold up the total amount raised March 2.

operations committee, said he raised over his initial goal of $1,250 and reached over $1,650.

“Soonerthon starts really early in the year, so we have a lot of push days in the fall semester to get people registered and to get donations,” McMillen said. “Most notably we have Child Health Day and Day of Miracles. On those days I did a bunch of fundraising reaching out to relatives, old coaches, old high school friends that go to other schools, as well as classmates and professors.”

McMillen said participants get creative with the ways they raise money, including selling stickers, food and driving people around like an Uber

service.

Lauren Wood, chemical engineering sophomore and Soonerthon morale executive member, said she decided to raise money by selling stickers during O c t o b e r l a s t s e m e s t e r.

Wood said she raised $624 for Soonerthon.

The last few minutes of Soonerthon are dedicated to the reveal, where executive chair members hold up signs representing how much money was raised for the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“The reveal is great every year,” Bennett said. “You can ask anybody who was h e re b e f o re — i t i s t h e most anticipated part and the most well-known part.

Unfor tunately, it is the

shortest, but it’s cool because it’s everything you’ve worked for all year coming together at the end.”

Clark Killion, executive vice chair and finance and energy management senior, said the executive team of just over 200 students and the vice chair team put a lot of work into the event.

“It’s just kind of weird when you’re finally sitting up in that room calculating up the total number, and you realize it’s all over, but you realize how much time and effort you put into it, and it makes you really proud of the number you’re holding up at the end of the day,” Killion said.

Every year at Soonerthon, Miracle Families with the Children’s Miracle Network

Hospitals are in attendance.

Miracle Families include a child, or a Miracle Kid, who is being or has been treated for pediatric illnesses at any nationwide Children’s Hospital, according to the CAC Soonerthon page on the OU website.

“We’re definitely really lucky to have an awesome group of Miracle Families,” Killion said. “They love coming here and we love having them.”

Brock Hart, a Miracle Kid and cancer survivor, and his family stood in front o f t h e au d i e n c e b e f o re the final reveal March 2.

Brock’s father, Jason Hart, said to the crowd that each dollar meant something to each family there that night.

“Each family that is here tonight has struggled, each family has needed something, each family has hurt, so each dollar means something to us,” Jason Hart said.

Killion said one of Soonerthon’s main goals i s t o m a k e t h e Mi ra c l e Families feel most at home.

“We just want to treat the kids as best as possible and give them a day to not worry about anything and just enjoy being a kid.” Killion said. “It’s really cool to give a day back to them after all they’ve gone through.”

Whitney Clear

whitney.clear@ou.edu

Local florist runs for Norman school board Business owner seeks to impact education system BAILEY LEWIS @BaileyLewis75

Local business owner Victoria McBride is running for Norman Public Schools Board of Education, and if elected, would be the first African-American woman to serve on the board.

McBride has four children and said she has been an active volunteer in Norman Public Schools as a certified substitute teacher, PTA member, homeroom mom and has served on many school-related committees.

Because of this, she saw that a new approach was needed to better serve those in Norman Public Schools.

“I believe our school boards should reflect the diversity of the community, and I can contribute a skill set and a perspective that is not currently represented on the board,” McBride said.

“I believe in a public education system that welcomes and celebrates the individuality of all of our students and promotes their ability to reach their full potential.”

McBride announced her plan to r un for the board on Dec. 4, 2018, the Norman Transcript reported. McBride is running for Office 4 on the Norman Public Schools Board of Education against incumbent Chad Vice. “ Pers onally, I do not

know Mr. Vice,” McBride said. “However, I believe that there needs to be more engagement with the parents, teachers and students.

A school board member should have regular community forums with the people in their district, and I plan to do just that.”

McBride opened Victoria McBride Creations Floral Boutique in May 2018 in the University North Park Entertainment District, and her boutique was one of the first African-Americanowned businesses in the district.

McBride said that if elected to the Norman Public Schools Board of Education, she will increase the board’s diversity to better reflect the Norman community.

“As potentially being the first woman of color on the school board, it will offer hope to all students that no matter what challenges you face, if you just believe in yourself and keep positive people in your circle, you too can accomplish your dreams,” McBride said. “I want every student to see me and say, ‘If she can do it, so can I.’” McBride said she has been actively engaging the community for support for her campaign.

“I have taken nothing for granted, and because of that, the community has seen that I am willing to work for each and every vote,” McBride said. “Due to that, many people have sent me personal notes and took time out of their schedule to volunteer

for my campaign.”

McBride’s campaign manager, Krystal Golding-Ross, said many people they have spoken with in the Norman community are unaware of who their school board member is or what the board does.

“People do not typically have this type of face-toface contact with candidates running for their local school board, but these conversations are so vital,” Golding-Ross said. “Victoria is educating people on what school boards do and how important they are to supporting students, parents and teachers in the district.”

If she is elected, McBride’s goal is to make sure parents, teachers and students in the Norman community have a voice when new ideas or policies are introduced.

If elected, McBride plans to increase teacher recruitment and retention efforts by developing a standard procedure for recruitment that considers what is best for the community as a whole.

McBride also wants to establish a citizens’ school bond oversight committee to monitor the district’s use of bond funds and to report to the Norman Public School Board and public on their findings.

McBride also wants to implement a Bullying P re v e n t i o n i n P o s i t i v e Behavioral Intervention Support program and increase community engagement with regular community meetings to discuss

BAILEY LEWIS/THE DAILY

Victoria McBride arranges leaves to add into a bouquet of yellow roses at Victoria McBride Creations Floral Boutique in Norman, a business she started in May.

future policies and issues and receive feedback.

M c B r i d e ’s h u s b a n d , A n t h o n y M c B r i d e, a n nounced his plan to run for Norman City Council Ward 8 in December 2017 but lost to Kyle Allison and Alex Scott during the Feb. 13, 2018, Cleveland County election.

“I personally feel that ( No r m a n C i t y C o u n c i l member and the Norman Public School Board) are different and politics should not be so heavily involved when it comes to ensuring the best education for our kids,” McBride said. “It boils down to what is right and not right.”

Anthony McBride said he has helped McBride prepare for her campaign “mentally” because of how draining running for office can be.

“I shared with her some of my pitfalls and successes when I ran for office,” Anthony McBr ide said.

“Victoria has handled all the pressure and deadlines very well. She continues to remind me that this is about the future of our kids and she will not allow politics to get in her way.”

Anthony McBride said he is supportive of McBride’s campaign and that McBride decided to run because she genuinely wanted to make a

difference.

“She wasn’t tapped on the shoulders to run for office,” Anthony McBride said. “She volunteered as she has done countless times before. She got into this race with pure passion and believing that she can offer a diverse perspective, which requires self-awareness, intellectual flexibility and broad knowledge of the many issues that are facing our children, teachers and the larger community.”

Bailey Lewis

bailey.n.lewis-1@ou.edu

NEWS

March 4-6, 2019 •

Nielsen canine companion Husky offers stress relief for students in Nielsen Hall

George Stoia Sports Editor Siandhara Bonnet Culture Editor

@ThisIsNancyS

Kayla Branch Enterprise Editor Caitlyn Epes Visual Editor Emily McPherson Copy Chief Emily Douthitt Print Editor

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Andrea Cristini and his dog, Togo, in Nielsen Hall on Feb. 27. Togo is considered everyone’s “free stress relief.”

about 6 years old now.

Although Togo is calm, sweet and innocent in appearance nowadays, he was a much more troublesome, “lovable monster” in his younger years. He likes to steal blocks of butter from the kitchen and once ate an entire pound of butter that was accidentally left out, Carson said.

“I have a brilliant picture where there was rubbish all over the kitchen, and I was like, ‘Oh I have to take a picture for Dre to see,’” Carson said. “And as I was taking the picture, Togo walked up front and just turned toward the camera. He photobombed it basically.”

With both Cristini and Carson working full time when they still lived in the UK, they installed a camera so they could see what Togo was up to when they weren’t home. Sometimes he would do some “naughty stuff ” Cristini said, but most of the

time he would just lie around until they got back.

Huskies are extremely high-energy dogs, according to Cristini, and Togo himself is an athlete. He and Cristini bike to and from the office together and go out for runs on the weekends at Lake Hefner.

The two have also done some bikejor races together, a sport where when a dog is attached to the front of a mountain bike and pulls the bike along while the human rides, Cristini said.

“He was our first dog ever, which is probably a bad choice to make as a first dog,” Cristini said. “But we just sort of adapted to him, and he adapted to us. Early on we started to realize he needed a lot of exercise.”

The name Togo was inspired by the true story of Balto, Carson said, where a dog named Togo ended up becoming leader of his pack despite originally acting out toward the other dogs. Once

leader of the pack, Togo completes the hardest leg of a treacherous mission.

Meanwhile, the hero dog Balto gets the credit for saving the day. According to Cristini, the name Togo is also inspired by a Japanese admiral of the same name.

“That’s kind of how we felt about Togo — he was misunderstood,” Carson said. “Togo would seem to act aggressive whenever we touched one of his siblings, but we soon realized that was just him being protective ... so we quickly realized that he wasn’t aggressive or anything like that.

He was just being protective of his brothers and sisters. So it kind of fit in with the whole misunderstood thing.”

Togo has been popular since day one of his arrival at OU, Cristini said. Last semester, Togo and Cristini had an office on the second floor, which had a sign outside his door that said “free stress

relief” with a picture of Togo underneath. Cristini said students have come in after a bad day or a hard exam and told him that Togo was exactly what they needed that day.

Cristini said Togo should be considered as everyone’s “free stress relief,” and people are always welcome to visit Togo anytime.

“I feel like he’s a service to the department in a way,” Cristini said. “He’s a great unofficial addition to the department, and he’s even in the department photo. He’s a converter. He’s converted a lot of people that were afraid or don’t like dogs.”

Togo and his owner (who can be emailed at a.j.cristini@ou.edu) can be found in Room 143 of Nielsen Hall.

Togo even has an Instagram: @togovision.

Nancy Spears

Nancy.M.Spears-1@ou.edu

Esports club sees continued growth Sport’s increasing popularity mirrors national trend

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BLAKE DOUGLAS @Blake_Doug918

The line between traditional sports and competitive gaming — “esports” — is becoming more blurred every year.

This was apparent even in May 2017 when the NBA announced it would launc the 2K sports eleague, which would feature 17 NBA franchises drafting five video game players who would function as members of their organizations competing for the eleague championship, with contracts and endorsements just like standard NBA players.

Since the esports explosion, competition has also spread widely to the collegiate level.

Thirty colleges across the country now offer scholarships for competitive esports, and with OU’s former esports association becoming the official esports club last semester, members of the gaming community at OU are optimistic they may soon offer the same opportunities.

The first obstacle the club needs to address is funding, which Bailey Brown, an advertising senior and the news director of the esports club, highlighted. “...a lot of scholarships come from alumni of the university, and I feel a lot of that demographic isn’t educated on the benefits of esports,” Brown said. “I feel like it might be a waiting game of finding the right people to fund it, but the awareness we’re trying to bring to the public will support these efforts.”

Jack Counts, communications sophomore and president of the OU esports club,

Nick Hazelrigg News Managing Editor Julia Weinhoffer Engagement Editor

NANCY SPEARS

Many students clad in coats and backpacks walk in and out of Nielsen Hall every day. However, a certain fourlegged attendee can also be seen roaming Nielsen’s classrooms and hallways.

Togo, a Siberian husky/ Alaskan malamute mix , belongs to Andrea “Dre” Cristini, a postdoctorate research associate in astronomy in physics, and his girlfriend Clare Carson. While Togo is technically not a service animal, he is almost always in Nielsen Hall, accompanying Cristini to his office in Room 143.

Togo is not at all disruptive to other faculty, staff or students in Nielsen Hall, so he is a well-received furry friend to the building, Cristini said.

Students in particular have taken a liking to Togo. Hunter Campbell, a graduate student in astronomy and physics, said Togo is a great addition to the physics building.

“When Togo was closer to the graduate office, I would go out and pet him if I was feeling stressed or tired — he made homework better,” Campbell said. “He is kind and calm and is always up for belly rubs. Togo is awesome, and he lightens up any day of mine when he is here.”

Campbell met Togo for the first time as an undergraduate while he was visiting OU in search of a graduate school.

The visiting students got to play with Togo, and Campbell said Togo was “definitely a bonus” in attending OU. Cristini and Carson adopted Togo when he was 8 weeks old. Originally from England, Cristini bought Togo from a breeder in Wales, and they moved to America when Togo was about 4 years old. Togo is

Emma Keith Editor in Chief

OU Sooner eSports. OU’s esports club is seeking funding for scholarships and a gaming lounge.

said the club is exploring various avenues for fundraising.

“We’re looking at everything from bake sales to corporate sponsorships, as well as selling OU esports club apparel with the help of OU licensing and alumni,” Counts said. “We hope to raise enough money initially to build a gaming lounge on campus for our players to use for competition and practice, the club to use for student events and esports club members to use in their free time to socialize.”

These efforts are similar to the revenue streams employed at the University of California, Irvine, one of the 30 schools already offering esports scholarships.

Mark Deppe, director of UCI esports, said everything from the scholarships to staff salaries, gear and technology for the team and facility rent is funded solely by the club.

“We are a self-sufficient program,” Deppe said. “One source of revenue is our LAN cafe business — it’s very successful. People come in and pay for hours to play casually in our arena.”

Combining this with philanthropy and own corporate sponsorships, the esports organization at UCI brings in between $700,000 and $800,000 a year, according to Deppe.

While having methods of fundraising is important, convincing the university and donors of the importance of esports to a student is another matter.

Counts argued many of the same benefits of funding traditional sports can be found in esports as it continues to grow in popularity.

“It’s a mutually beneficial relationship — the university can use the scholarships to recruit talented students that otherwise may have attended another university,” Counts said. “This helps us bring in quality individuals to the school as well as strengthening our esports teams which, when at the top of their game, can bring a lot of publicity and recognition to the university, as well.”

The strategy of likening esports to more traditional ones has worked well in the past, said Kurt Melcher,

executive director of the esports program at Robert Morris University, the first university in the U.S. to offer esports scholarships.

“It was about presenting esports in the same light as traditional sports,” Melcher said. “We already considered traditional sports as a kind of second classroom where students could learn valuable skills.”

Melcher said those skills include leadership, communication and work ethic taught through competition and training.

“It took some doing to see esports that way because I think a lot of administrators have a different perception due to some stereotypes about what video games are,” Melcher said. “They’re not really familiar with where video games are now in the team component, having really deep mastery and being very difficult and complex.”

Outside of these skills, the program at UCI uses its esports teams to help further university research.

UCI researchers have worked with the esports team

VIA SOONER ESPORTS WEBSITE

to collect data on a number of projects across numerous fields, Deppe said.

These range from simple demographics data gathering on what kind of students are typically using the esports facilities, to medical school students conducting research on how short-interval, high-intensity workouts affect player performance as they play video games and how the stimuli players process during games affects brain function.

These types of initiatives provide an additional value to having esports teams present on larger research campuses like OU, Deppe said.

With the continued growth of the esports industry and simultaneously the esports club at OU, which numbered around 380 last semester before eclipsing 450 members in the club’s official Discord server this semester, it is likely that a once niche hobby may soon contribute to paying for education at OU. Blake Douglas

blake.douglas918@gmail.com

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March 4-6, 2019

CULTURE

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

Exhibit shows incarcerated women OU Center for Social Justice hopes to raise awareness

in Gould Hall.

K ha n f a r i s a n au t h o r and photographer whose work features different humanitarian problems from around the world.

According to his website, Khanfar has published several photography books, and his work has been featured in magazines like Oklahoma Today and O, The Oprah. He has also

SAM TONKINS

@samanthatonkins

The OU Center for Social Justice will display photographer Yousef Khanfar’s exhibition “Invisible Eve�

photographed portraits of several prominent figures, including Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Carina Quiroz, OU Center for Social Justice program coordinator, said “Invisible Eve� showcases incarcerated women in Oklahoma. In the photos, the women are sometimes shown with members of their families,

some of whom are in jail themselves. “He explains it as showcasing their souls and identities from behind the lens because we often don’t get to see who they are,� Quiroz said.

Quiroz said the exhibit will be displayed in the lobby of Gould Hall March 12-19. She said she hopes the exhibition will raise

awareness of Oklahoma’s high rate of incarcerated women. “So to even just see these photographs, I think that’s going to be in their minds,�

Quiroz said. “So maybe people are going to reach out in other ways to maybe help these women or to see why it is that we have these high rates of incarcerated women.�

“Invisible Eve� will have an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. March 12 in Gould Hall in the Gallery Room.

The event is free and open to the public.

Sam Tonkins

samantha.tonkins@ou.edu

Medieval Fair makes changes to price, setup will have fewer performing acts. “We’ve now totally exhausted our reserves because of two years of bad weather,� said Ann Marie Eckart, who coordinates the Medieval Fair each year.

Last year, rain and colder temperatures forced organizers to close part of the three-day festival. As a result, attendance and revenue dropped dramatically.

Eckart said the fair will have fewer stages, including the Maypole Stage. Visitors will also have to pay more for parking at Lloyd Noble Center.

After years of bad weather, financial trouble, acts reduce STAFF REPORTS

Lacey Lett of Oklahoma News 4 reports the annual Medieval Fair will change event staples after financial difficulty.

The festival coordinator told News 4 the event will now charge $10 for parking and will reduce the event stages and scheduled acts to save money.

News 4 reports the attendance in the last two years of the event has been down due to weather. This year the Maypole Stage will not be featured, and the fair

Staff Reports

dailyent@ou.edu

PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY

Medieval Fair sign April 7. The Medieval Fair will change event staples after financial difficulty.

‘Momentum’ exhibit to feature local artists Nonprofit grants funds to artists in upcoming gallery

ages 30 and younger incorporating film, performance, new media, installation, music and other artistic mediums. Hundreds of young artists submitted their work to be considered for the event.

The selected pieces were chosen by special guest curator Zoe Larkins and emerging curator S a m a n t h a R h o d e s, a ccording to a press release.

Larkins is the assistant curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, and Rhodes serves as an intern at OVAC after having recently graduated from American University’s art history department. “Throughout planning this exhibition, I

ALMA CIENSKI @almacienski

The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, or OVAC, will celebrate the 18th anniversary of “Momentum,� a two-night multimedia arts event, on March 22 and 23.

OVAC is a nonprofit organization that supports O k l a h o ma a r t i st s, p romotes public interest and helps people of all ages understand the arts.

The exhibit features the works of Oklahoma artists

have enjoyed and been encouraged by the young, artistic talent thriving in Oklahoma,� Rhodes said in the release. “The work of these artists includes a b s t r a c t i o n , p o r t r a i t s, still-life, landscape, sculpture,and more. Momentum is about bold yet inviting pieces that will resonate with all visitors and inspire a bit of exploration.�

T h e c u ra t o r s w o rk e d together to sort through more than 300 works to create a show of 90 works and three spotlight projects. The spotlight artists f o r “ M o m e n t u m� 2 0 1 9 are Emily Chase from

Tulsa, Cecilia Otero from Oklahoma City and Anna Thomas from Tulsa.

Chase is a paper artist, mostly creating three-dimensional sculpture works like illuminated multi-layered paper boxes. For her “Momentum� project, she create d an illuminate d tunnel that the viewer can pass through to experience art in a different way, Chase said. “O ne of the reasons I was excited about doing this project is that I wanted the opportunity to have support and space to create a large-scale project to see what that was like,

HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2019 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last Helping others will bring you great joy this year, but in doing so don’t jeopardize your position or reputation. Only offer what’s feasible, and practice and preach moderation, kindness and understanding. You will be given opportunities to explore alternative lifestyles.

VIA OVAC-OK.ORG

The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, or OVAC, will celebrate the 18th anniversary of “Momentum� on March 22 and 23.

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.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -Embrace practical and promising changes. Refuse to let temptation take charge and lead you astray.

Work with others to achieve the most and make a difference.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- A change is possible if you are sincere about what you want. Don’t let jealousy lead to bad conduct and regret. Size up a situation and be mature.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -Traveling, attending meetings and exploring new possibilities are favored. If you make changes for the right reasons, you will get what you want. Straightforwardly address sensitive issues with honesty and integrity.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- A change at home will leave you questioning how to best move forward. Take better care of ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Look your health and well-being. Joint past someone who is negative and ventures should be handled with choose positive alternatives that will caution. expand your mind and encourSCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Take age you to do and be your best. on a new hobby, do more with Kindness and a helping hand will friends and relatives and be open win favors. to new ideas. Listen carefully and make choices based on your beliefs TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -Refuse to let your emotions get in and plans. the way of your productivity. When SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) something doesn’t go your way, -- Listen to your heart and pay focus on your own performance instead of complaining or arguing attention to what others do and about something you cannot change. say. Refuse to let someone coerce you into a fight or interfere in your GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- You’ll affairs. Offer peace, not chaos. be offered false information. Don’t CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) act in haste, or you may end up -- A change to the way you handle looking bad or being blamed for your personal affairs should be something you didn’t do. Stick to kept secret. Take care of personal the facts. paperwork to ensure that you have CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Work- everything up-to-date. ing with people you find innovative will spark your imagination. Don’t AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- A hold back. If you put some energy kind gesture will lead to a positive behind your plans, good things will change. How you earn or handle your money will be subject to transpire. Trust your instincts. change. Get what you want in writing before you agree to a deal.

because most of my work is the size of the human body or smaller,� Chase said. “I wanted to see what would happen if I took this light box design I had been working on for a number of years and blew it up to a much larger scale.�

The featured artists received an honorarium of $1,000 and three months of guidance from the curators to help them with their projects. Chase said the honorarium was especially helpful because purchasing art supplies for an installation project can become quite expensive.

A preview exhibition for

the spotlight artists will take place Feb. 12 through June 22 at 21c Museum Hotel. This exhibition will also be on view from March 2 6 t h ro u g h Ap r i l 2 6 a t Southwest Oklahoma State University’s art gallery. “ Mo m e ntu m� w i l l b e from 8 to 11 p.m. on March 22 and 23 at the Womb gallery, 25 NW 9th St. This event is sponsored

by Dunlap Codding, P.C., Chickasaw Nation and 21c Museum Hotel.

Alma Cienski

aacienski@ou.edu

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg March 4, 2019

ACROSS 1 Sacha Baron Cohen journalist 6 Bonkers 10 Like a boring party 14 Bring a smile to 15 Arab ruler 16 “The ___ Duckling�

17 Vietnamese sandwichcooking flame?

19 Sleeper agent 20 Poke tuna 21 Fourth estate 22 Awards for “Game of Thrones�

23 Sounded, as bells 25 Japan’s region 27 Dryer detritus 29 Became ready to pick 32 Nook 35 Green piece?

36 One of a pentagon’s five 37 Caramelly candies 38 Crow call 39 Play place?

40 Pull an all-nighter 41 “You’ve got mail� company 42 Made lemonade out of lemons 43 “Howdy, partners!�

3/4

45 Consider 46 Computer character drawings 48 Chandler’s “Duke of ___�

52 Strike down, biblically 54 It’ll give you a leg up 56 ___ double take 57 Page with many authors 58 Villas for villains?

60 Actor Guinness 61 Bulgarian’s neighbor 62 They’re shown to newbies 63 Common race length 64 Author Kingsley 65 Silence breakers’ hashtag, or this puzzle’s theme DOWN 1 Kiddie lit elephant 2 Malcolm X’s Nebraska birthplace 3 Altercation 4 Cigarette residue 5 Part-time worker 6 Checkmate, say 7 Not quite right 8 Likely site of audience participation

9 Three, in Italy 10 Crash test phase?

11 Narcissist 12 Friend in battle 13 Henna and others 18 Goddess of peace 22 Psychic’s claim, briefly 24 Conductor’s baton during a dirge?

26 Help 28 Medicine tubes: Abbr.

30 One of a cube’s 12 31 Monopoly card 32 Eyebrow shape 33 Old tales 34 “American Idol� and congressional runner-up

35 “Blueberries for ___� (picture book) 38 Large stadium 39 Take to court 41 Boxer Laila 42 “Hero� martial artist 44 “A� playing card 45 Cocktails, e.g.

47 “Pong� console 49 Bring to the screen, perhaps 50 Bull-riding event 51 Catch, as cows 52 Try to hit 53 Freeway sign unit 55 Word for word?

58 NYC subway initials 59 Edgar Allan ___

PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER

3/3 2/28

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

“Hear Our Voices� by Andy Kravis, Natan Last and JASA

March 4-6, 2019 •

SPORTS

5

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

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Senior Sydney Romero celebrates on her way to home plate after a home run in the game against Oregon State on March 1.

OU beats Louisiana, Oregon State

Sound pitches, quality defense help Sooners win PARKER PRIMROSE @parker_primrose

With Oregon State just 60 feet away from scoring the day’s first run, it appeared junior pitcher Mariah Lopez was in trouble.

Runners stood on second and third as Lopez stared down the Beavers’ cleanup hitter, a precarious situation for the Oklahoma pitcher.

But instead of succumbing to the moment, Lopez was able to induce a grounder to second that resulted in the inning’s final out, keeping Oregon State off the board and keeping Oklahoma in the game.

The moment was

representative of the day as a whole, as sound pitching and quality defense helped No. 4 Oklahoma (15-2) defeat No. 25 Oregon State (124) 3-0 and No. 11 Louisiana (15-3) 9-1 on the opening day of the Courtyard Marriott Tournament.

Lopez had a strong outing against the Beavers, as she struck out eight and allowed just five hits over the course of six shutout innings. Junior Giselle Juarez also delivered a strong start, as she struck out six and allowed just one run in the five inning run-rule win over Louisiana. “(The quality pitching) has a lot to do with our defense and our offense,” Lopez said. “It’s pretty nice to have them score runs.

You can pitch a little bit more freely when you have that backing you. It helps a

lot, and it helps us expand the zone a little bit more and test some things out.”

Supporting the pitchers was a rangy outfield that made several key plays, including a laser throw from sophomore right fielder Jocelyn Alo to gun down a runner at third base in the fourth inning. The dynamic fielding didn’t go unnoticed by the pitchers or head coach Patty Gasso.

“This is the best I’ve seen our outfield play, no doubt,” Gasso said. “(Senior) Raegan (Rogers) made a really great play in the outfield, Alo’s throws. It was just a good, complete game all the way around. To us, I think that builds confidence for the entire team because that is the way we play. They haven’t felt that in a while, so it’s good to get back on that page, especially when

you’re playing two really good teams.”

Balancing out the defensive effort was a consistent and explosive offense, as the unit hit five home runs between the two games and totaled 12 runs overall.

Playing a key role was Big 12 Player of the Week senior Sydney Romero, who went 4-for-8 on the day with a home run and four RBIs. “(The success is a result of ) just sticking to our game plan,” Romero said.

“That’s the most important thing — to go in prepared, and that’s what we’ve been doing this whole week. It’s always good. Preparation wins games.”

Also playing key roles were several young players, as freshmen starters Grace Green and Grace Lyons combined to draw four walks between the two

games and freshman Sami Skelly delivered a pinch hit home run. The home run was the first hit of Skelly’s career. “(The home run was a) cool highlight because she’s been really working hard and being a really good team player,” Gasso said.

“Any time that team player that doesn’t get a lot of time gets an opportunity to come in, I was happy to see the entire team behind her.

She can change the game in a swing, and she’s getting very confident.”

As the team prepared to play Oregon State and Louisiana again Saturday, which were canceled because of the weather, it hoped to find similar results by sticking to the formula it used Friday. For senior Shay Knighten, who went 2-for-3 and hit a home run against

Louisiana, that meant staying true to themselves and staying within the moment.

“I think it was just sticking to our game plan and sticking to ourselves, not trying to do too much or be too big,” Knighten said.

“Just see the ball, hit the ball. Just try to get the ball in play so we can move our runners, and just playing free and relaxing and not tensing up and trying to be the hero.”

The games against Louisiana and Oregon State scheduled for Saturday were canceled because of the weather. Oklahoma will return to the field against McNeese at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Marita Hynes Field.

Parker Primrose

parker.m.primrose-1@ ou.edu

Sooners hold on to playoff hopes after win Team looks back on senior careers; season nears end CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21

In a game where Oklahoma looked back at the careers of its seniors, the Sooners were still looking ahead with playoff hopes in their 92-80 win over West Virginia on Saturday.

Up ahead, the Sooners have a home game against No. 15 Kansas and a road game against No. 16 Kansas State.

“We’ve got two games left, so it’s not like you have to prepare for two months,” head coach Lon Kruger said. “It’s two games. It’s one week of regular season play.

These guys, no problem with them. They practiced really well all year long. Even during the stretch where we weren’t winning games, they still practiced very well and worked hard. It won’t be hard at all with this group.”

S e n i o r n i g h t h e ro i c s from freshman guard Jamal Bieniemy and graduate transfer guard Aaron Calixte stole the show Saturday afternoon. Both players — on opposite ends of each other in terms of their careers — scored 22 points while being 13-17 combined from the field. “(Bieniemy and Calixte) were great. I thought they

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Senior guard Christian James drives to the basket during the game against West Virginia March 2.

had good focus. Jamal’s been doing a super job all year running the club, and then he jumps up and makes those 3s to really give us a bit of a margin there,” Kruger said. “Happy to see them get those results.

The two players have added an offensive dimension the team needs for its momentum as it goes into

the last two regular season games of the season. It’ll be much needed against the Jayhawks and the Wildcats, two teams the Sooners have lost to this year.

Kansas was OU’s second loss of the year in 13 games.

The loss started the struggle the Sooners would know as the Big 12.

The Sooners will have to

go against junior forward Dedric Lawson, who tallied 13 points and 15 rebounds.

Lawson averages 19 points and 10.3 rebounds a game.

A silver lining to Tuesday’s game against the Jayhawks is senior guard Lagerald Vick’s leave of absence since early February. Vick scored 12 points and had four rebounds against the

Soonersand averages 14.1 points per game in the matches he’s played in. His absence is a missing piece to the Jayhawks’ talented puzzle.

But Tuesday is still destined to be big test for the Sooners. Not being able to get in the win column after Tuesday could well end the Sooners’ chances of making

the NCAA Tournament. “(The Jayhawks) are always good. They’ve got one of the premier players in the country,” Kruger said. “We know we’ll have to come with great effort and make shots and do a good job on the boards.”

Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mccourry@ou.edu

6

SPORTS

• March 4-6, 2019

KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY

Redshirt senior Gileysa Penzo moves down the court in the game against TCU March 2. The Sooners fell to TCU 76-63.

Oklahoma loses to TCU on senior night Sooners collapse in second half after strong opening TARIK MASRI

@Tarik_mofficial

The Sooners were unable to overcome a poor second-half performance and lost to TCU, 76-63, on senior night.

Freshman guard Taylor Robertson finished the first half nearly perfect from the field. Robertson scored 20 of the Sooners’ 40 first-half points on 7-8 shooting and 6-6 from deep. Sophomore

guard Ana L lanusa had previously led the Sooners in scoring in her last eight games, but two early fouls limite d L lanusa to just eight minutes in which she scored 3 points on 1-4 shooting.

At the half, Oklahoma had shot 45 percent from the field and 63 percent from the 3-point line and held the Horned Frogs to just 1-7 from deep. Despite this, the Sooners led by just 6points going into the break. TCU would go on to outscore the Sooners 42-23 in the second half.

“It was a tale of two halves,” head coach Sherri

Coale said. “We were pretty good in the first half and not very good in the second half. I just thought we got out-hustled, their physicality affected us” The Horned Frogs came out of the half and went on a 14-2 run giving them a 48-42 lead. TCU knocked down four 3-pointers in the third quar ter while holding the S ooners to zero on four attempts. The Horned Frogs were able to pull away in the fourth quarter thanks to a 14-3 rebounding advantage and 12 points in the paint. The Sooners scored 4 points in the paint in the third

quarter and were shut out dow n low in the four th quarter.

Robertson struggled to continue her hot start from the 3-point line and was held to 1 point on 0-3 shooting from the field in the second half, finishing with 21 points and four rebounds. Llanusa came into the game as the first Sooner ever to score 20plus points in six consecutive games but needed 11 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 19 points on 4-13 shooting and 2-7 from three.

The Sooners honored two seniors, Ijeoma

Odimgbe and Gileysa Penzo, before their final home game of the s ea son. Both Odimgbe and Penzo started the game and were able to make an impact early on. Penzo f i n i s h e d w i t h t h re e re bounds in seven minutes and Odimgbe played 11 minutes. “(Penzo) is the best hype man you could ever have.

If you’re ever lacking confidence, she’s always going to give you something.”

Llanusa said about the senior guard. “Same with (Odimgbe), they’re both just really team-oriented and all about the team, and

it’s been a wonderful time with them.”

S a t u rd a y ’s g a m e w a s the Sooners’ first loss ever against TCU in Norman.

The Sooners drop to 8-20 on the season and 4-13 in Big 12 play. Oklahoma sits at No. 8 in the Big 12 standings with only one regular season game remaining.

The Sooners will take on Texas Tech at 7 p.m.

Tuesday in Lubbock.

Tarik Masri

tarikmasri1@ou.edu

Sooners’ seniors, freshmen shine together Oklahoma’s victory positions team for NCAA Tournament PARKER PRIMROSE @parker_primrose

On a day dedicated to the Sooners’ seniors, both Oklahoma’s past and future shined bright.

Oklahoma (18-11, 6-10 B i g 1 2 ) d e f e a t e d We s t Virginia (11-18, 3-13 Big 12), 92-80, in what was the Sooners’ highest scoring output of the season and a crucial win for the team’s NCAA Tournament dreams.

L e a d i n g t h e w ay w a s freshman Jamal Bieniemy, as the young point guard scored 22 points and dished out six assists while going 4-5 from behind the arc.

Supporting Bieniemy was graduate transfer Aaron Calixte, who finished with 22 points and shot 72 percent overall. “(Bieniemy and Calixte) were great,” head coach Lon Kruger said. “I thought they had good focus.

Jamal’s been doing a super job all year running the club, and then he jumps up and makes those 3s to really give us a bit of a margin there. I thought he was great all day. Defensively, offensively, making shots...

These two continue to work ha rd , l i ke w e’ve t a l ke d about many times. Happy to see them get those results.”

The game was tight early, as the teams were tied at 25 with 7:01 remaining in the game, but from there Oklahoma went on a tear, going on a 17-3 run to end the first half and scoring 50 points in the second half.

“It was a good battle,” Kruger said. “I thought it

AUSTIN CARRIERE/THE DAILY

Graduate guard Aaron Calixte and freshman guard Jamal Bieniemy get back on defense during the game against West Virginia March 2. Bieniemy and Calixte both scored 22 points in the Sooners’ win.

was a little bit of a sluggish start in the first few minutes. I thought the next 20, 25 were really good. We moved the ball well, made plays for each other, battled ... Proud of the guys. Feel good for them.”

Last time the two teams played, the Mountaineers w o n 7 9 - 7 1 a n d o u t- re bounded Oklahoma 46-30 while the Sooners shot 39.7 percent from three. This time, the Sooners prevailed by cutting their rebounding deficit to just eight and by shooting 47.6 from deep.

According to junior forward Kristian Doolittle, improved play in the paint was a big part of the game plan.

“I feel like this game we were more physical, havi n g m o re o f a f o c u s o n boxing out,” junior forward Kristian Doolittle said. “The first time you play somebody, the scout team can only do so much to simulate what the other team’s going to do. So we had a good game plan coming into this game, a big emphasis on (West Virginia freshman forward Derek)

Culver. He’s really good.

Just being able to find bodies and get the loose ball.”

The victory served as a sweet salute to the seniors.

For a group that’s experienced both the highs of the Final Four in 2016 and the lows of missing the tournament in 2017, its leadership and impact is prevalent in the way teammates like Doolittle speak about them. “ I l o v e t h e s e n i o r s ,” Doolittle said. “I’m thankful for what they’ve done.

(I’ve) taken the experience that they’ve had with the

Final Four team and kind of (set) that as a starting point for the rest of us coming in my freshman year. So I’m thankful for them and I’m glad I got the win.”

Kruger said he was glad the seniors could get rewarded with a home win on senior day after pushing the team past an earlier five-game losing streak and through the ups and downs of the season.

“Good to see them go out on senior day celebration with a win,” Kruger said.

“They’ve been good, the

whole group. They’ve represented well, they’ve continued to work hard, and here late with their backs to the wall a little bit, they’ve responded well and fought their tails off. Couldn’t be any more happy for them.”

Oklahoma’s next game w i l l b e a g a i n s t N o. 1 5 Kansas ( 22-7, 11-5 Big 12) at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Parker Primrose

parker.m.primrose-1@ ou.edu