Feb. 24-March , 2020

W E E K LY E D I T I O N | F E B R U A R Y 2 4 - M A R C H 1, 2 0 2 0 | O U D A I LY. C O M

OU DAILY “ SHE WILL

NEWS

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Norman medical professionals see uptick in scooterrelated injuries Study shows many users fail to wear helmets when using motorized vehicles

SPORTS

5

Deniz overcomes trials to revel in success at OU

SPEAK

HER MIND

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Belinda Higgs Hyppolite brings determination, honesty as vice president of diversity, inclusion BLAKE DOUGLAS @Blake_Doug918

When James Hyppolite entered a Ruby Tuesday in Orlando in 2014, he likely didn’t expect to find the strong bond that significantly changed his life.

Idly sifting through lettuce leaves and other garden greens at the salad bar, he thought it polite to pass a plate to a stranger waiting beside him. The woman thanked him with a smile — and what would have been the end of the interaction for most people carried on, spurred by an unknowable charisma.

“I knew she was different in all the behavior, the body language and composition that people have,” Hyppolite said. “She was special.

There was something about her I couldn’t figure out.”

Some who know Belinda Higgs Hyppolite, who was then the assistant vice president for community support at the University of Central Florida and took over as OU’s

current vice president for diversity and inclusion in January, said they feel the same.

“She always knew the right things to say to me to help guide me through that first year (at UCF),” said Alexandra Jean-Louis, a health sciences sophomore at UCF who was paired with Higgs Hyppolite through a faculty mentorship program. “I appreciated every moment and every piece of advice she gave me. It was all really heartfelt and friendly.”

Higgs Hyppolite — and what Hyppolite called her “vibrant personality” — are now tasked with mending OU’s troubled recent relationship with race and diversity on campus. The success story leading her to OU began in the rural town of Malden, Missouri, in a family fraught with both scars and triumphs resulting from America’s problematic history with race.

One of the earliest lessons she learned was the importance of respecting and working with others, Higgs Hyppolite said.

“Growing up in a small farming

community you learn a lot about family values,” Higgs Hyppolite said. “A lot about working together as a community and working together as a collective to be able to get it done.”

Harley Higgs, Higgs Hyppolite’s father, said family and community loyalty were important not only to Higgs Hyppolite and her four siblings during their youth, but to the first members of their family to come to Missouri after fleeing racism elsewhere.

Higgs said his grandparents originally fled to Missouri from Tennessee. At times, his grandparents told him, black people in the area would go missing, and would later be said to have “stolen more chain than they could handle” — meaning they were bound and thrown into a river to drown.

By the time Higgs Hyppolite and her siblings were growing up, their mother and father were well-established in Malden and accepted in the community, Higgs said. see HIGGS HYPPOLITE page 2

JACKSON STEWART/THE DAILY

Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Belinda Higgs Hyppolite.

Gallogly paid $125,000 after he left office Contract unclear on pay for volunteer work before presidency SCOTT KIRKER @scott_kirker

OU paid former President James Gallogly $125,000 after he left office for work he did before his tenure as president began — a measure one expert said could be unusual without an agreement requiring the university to pay him for that time.

According to records obtained

by The Daily through an open records request, Gallogly received a $125,000 payment from the university in July 2019 that was marked “separation pay.”

OU Director of Media Relations Kesha Keith said in a Feb. 18 email that separation pay refers to pay any employee receives after leaving the university.

Gallogly announced in May 2019 that he would retire after less than a year as president. He was named to and signed a contract for the position on March 26, 2018. He officially took office on July 2, 2018, and the discrepancy between the dates leaves unclear whether he was legally working as a volunteer or employee at that time.

“Former President Gallogly substantially volunteered his time as president-designate, and he intended to be uncompensated for it,” Keith said in the email.

Keith said in a Feb. 20 email the administration determined the additional payment was required after Gallogly’s retirement — Gallogly was on campus and actively working before officially beginning his tenure, engaged in meetings, budget preparation and strategy.

JORDAN MILLER/THE DAILY

Then-OU President James Gallogly sits in his office in Evans Hall on Feb. 7, 2019.

“During a routine HR review upon (Gallogly’s) announcement of his retirement,” Keith said in the email, “the university determined the additional compensation for his president-designate service was warranted and required under federal law.”

The $125,000 payment amounted to three months of pay at an annualized rate of $500,000, which was Gallogly’s rate of pay as president.

In Gallogly’s retirement statement in May 2019, he said he “immediately began working as a volunteer for the first several months before taking office in July 2018.”

Before entering office on July 2, 2018, Gallogly worked in a temporary office in the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Documents obtained by The Daily in June 2018 showed that Gallogly was sending

emails to administrators to gather information and making plans as president-designate as early as March 2018.

Gallogly gave the university’s report at the June 19, 2018, OU Board of Regents meeting, more than a week before he took office.

Judith Wilde, chief operating officer and professor at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, studies university president compensation. Wilde said she has seen universities provide additional compensation to presidents for work done before their tenure begins — but typically when it is written into their contract or a separate pre-employment agreement has been made.

“We have occasionally seen within an employment contract for a president, an agreement that the president can do consulting with

the university prior to his formally taking the position as president,” Wilde said. “Sometimes it’s written into his regular employment contract. I have Gallogly’s employment contract. It is not there. There is no comment about his working early.”

Beginning in May 2019, The Daily submitted multiple requests to the OU Office of Open Records attempting to find any severance package or exit pay Gallogly may have received from the university.

The office told The Daily in May that there were no responsive records for a severance package, and notice of exit pay was not included in university responses to questions posed for this story.

“I know that there are some rules about minimum pay you have to get,” Wilde said, “but if you volunteer to work, you’re not expecting anything.”

THE EXIT CLAUSE Wilde said many presidential contracts include language describing procedures for what could happen at the end of the president’s tenure should they exit office before the end of the contract, but Gallogly’s contract was not very specific.

“In most presidential contracts,” Wilde said, “there are a number of paragraphs on the hows and whys a president leaves the position and what happens when that happens, which includes any payments made to the president. They typically talk about if the president leaves with cause — meaning they found some problem with him or her — or without cause, meaning they’ve just decided to part ways or whatever, there’s no particular reason.”

When contracts include provisions for a president’s potential early exit, Wilde said, they usually include a financial component — Wilde said contracts may not include an explicit dollar amount, but often describe how such an amount would be calculated.

Gallogly’s presidential contract included a section on termination that said with or without cause, either Gallogly or the regents could have given a 60-day notice, and the only payment stipulated to be made would have been for those final 60 days.

“And that’s it,” Wilde said.

“There’s nothing like the (greater) detail that we’ve typically seen (in presidential contracts). And we’ve seen (in other contracts) at least five or six reasons why a president might leave, and what the payout to the president or his or her family might be under each of these conditions.”

At some universities, Wilde said, presidents have renegotiated the termination section of their contracts shortly before leaving their positions. In July 2019, The Gazette reported that former Auburn University President Steven Leath had negotiated a separation agreement netting him $4.5 million to leave, more than his original contract had stipulated.

Gallogly’s contract was less clear on what would happen should he leave office before the contract expired. “(Gallogly’s contract) is really brief and gives exactly the same results, whether it’s termination with cause or without cause,” Wilde said.

“And that’s very unusual.”

Scott Kirker stk@ou.edu

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NEWS

• Feb. 24-March 1, 2020

Students talk scooter concerns Scooter-related injuries heighten public awareness BETH WALLIS @walliswrites

HIGGS

HYPPOLITE: continued from page 1

Her parents had lived in and around Malden for several years, originally working as sharecroppers harvesting soybeans, cotton and other crops, before becoming involved as political and faith leaders — their mother as a city councilwoman, and their father as a pastor in the local church.

Shelia Burkhalter, Higgs Hyppolite’s older sister, said she and her siblings never experienced any direct or targeted racism while growing up, but heard about incidents close to their community. The town also had clear racial division in its housing, Burkhalter said.

“I would say it was a friendly town, but I will also say that there was definitely a color line,” Burkhalter said. “There was a ‘right’ side of the tracks and a ‘wrong’ side of the tracks.”

Despite the hostile history with race that brought her family to Malden, Higgs Hyppolite said she was inspired to transcend and fight racial barriers by her parents and her grandmother, who was active in bus boycotts and the civil rights movement.

“My mother was an educator and a politician, as well as the first African American woman to hold a city council seat in my small hometown,” Higgs Hyppolite said, “which helped shape my formative years because both of

RAY BAHNER/THE DAILY

A student rides a VeoRide scooter on campus Feb. 20.

“The problem is that people are not wearing helmets,” Hurley said. “They’re going at a high rate of speed, and then they get launched or stop suddenly, and they land on their head.”

Spencer Dickerson, regional manager for OU’s exclusive scooter-provider VeoRide, said the company is working on an innovation that could reduce the number of scooter-related head injuries.

“One of the innovations currently in the pipeline is helmet-detection technology,” Dickerson said. “Riders will be able to take a selfie with a helmet before a ride and get a discounted rate for riding safely.”

In addition to helmet-wearing incentives, Dickerson said VeoRide keeps up-to-date with the latest in safety research and uses it to inform design innovations.

In April 2019, the CDC released the results of a scooter-related injuries study from Austin, Texas. In it, the CDC found half of the riders surveyed felt their injuries were due to poor road conditions.

“When we hear ‘poor road conditions,’ we contribute that to a scooter that isn’t sturdy enough to handle various road conditions,” Dickerson said.

Dickerson said VeoRide lowered the center of gravity on scooters by placing the battery in the platform instead of the stem, and used 10-inch vacuum tire wheels instead of the standard 7-inch hard rubber wheels to reinforce better balance. VeoRide scooters also have front suspension and mechanical brakes instead of more fail-

ure-prone electric decelerators used in other scooters.

“All of this culminates in a much safer vehicle,” Dickerson said.

At Norman Regional Hospital, Hurley said the majority of the injuries he sees are from riders bumping into

my parents were activists for human rights and civil rights issues.”

Their parents were some of the first organizers to start programs in Malden benefiting families in need, Burkhalter said, providing food and gifts for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Higgs said his daughters reflect much of the work ethic and tenacity that made their mother a beloved community figurehead.

“I don’t think that I could actually find words to describe this lady — she was a real go-getter,” Higgs said.

“She always had a smile on her face, always a very aggressive person. She saw something that she wanted, she would go for it. She became a double amputee (due to diabetes complications) but you would’ve never known it by the way she was always busy.”

Higgs Hyppolite said the example set by her parents in overcoming racism in their lives and assisting those in need laid the foundation for a career advocating for underrepresented groups in higher education. Her father also ensured education and faith were emphasized throughout their childhood, helping propel his children toward higher education.

“I would tell them education plus God equals success,” Higgs said. “That’s the way I look at it.”

Both of Higgs Hyppolite’s parents earned their high school diplomas and college degrees non-traditionally, Burkhalter said, adding that the emphasis they put on

the importance of education was rewarded — each of their children has at least a bachelor’s degree, with four achieving master’s degrees. Higgs Hyppolite was the first to earn a doctorate, Burkhalter said.

Although she understood the importance of higher education, Higgs Hyppolite said her path remained unclear until late in her academic career.

“When I went to college, I think I couldn’t really decide what I wanted to do, and so I dabbled in a lot of different majors,” Higgs Hyppolite said.

“I was a history major, I was a business major, I was a home interior design major, but I still managed to graduate in four years.”

Originally hoping to become an attorney, Higgs Hyppolite said she learned shortly after entering law school that it was not the best for the career she wanted.

A combination of experiences throughout her collegiate career and afterwards — involvement in student government, Greek life and even work in the juvenile justice system in Iowa and Illinois, where she provided mental health services to children — helped her realize her passion for professionally advocating for marginalized communities, Higgs Hyppolite said.

After over 20 years of higher education experience, Higgs Hyppolite said she has come to accept the often difficult work in order to positively impact students however she can.

“It’s not easy. Most of the time, it’s not popular, and

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people on the sidewalk, overcorrecting while suddenly maneuvering to avoid an object or colliding with a car at a crosswalk. Crosswalks, Hurley said, are especially dangerous.

“It’s the same reason why you can’t ride a bike across a crosswalk,” Hurley said.

“That’s illegal. You have to walk it across the crosswalk.”

Sgt. Stephen Florea of the Tulsa Police Department’s Traffic Unit said in an interview with the Tulsa World that riders “must follow the same rules as bicyclists, such as stopping for stop signs, yielding to traffic signals and signaling turns.”

“The rules of the road say that you’ve got to operate the same as any vehicle,” Florea said in the article.

In April 2019, the Tulsa Wo r l d re p o r t e d o n t h e death of a 5-year-old child, Cadence Reyes-Ortiz, who died after being struck by a vehicle while riding a scooter with his mother, Evelyn Ortiz-Luevano.

Investigators allege OrtizLuevano committed several misdemeanors including “recklessly riding the scooter into oncoming traffic and failing to remain at the outer edge of the roadway.”

Witnesses said when OrtizLuevano swerved to avoid an oncoming car, her son fell off and was fatally struck by another vehicle.

Sgt. Shane Tuell commented on this incident to the Tulsa World.

“These are not toys,” Tuell said. “These are motorized vehicles. … You never know when your life will change in an instant. If you get so caught up in the moment that safety starts to go out the window, that’s when bad things can start to happen.”

To stay safe while riding a scooter, Hurley said he suggests wearing a helmet and thick clothing, obeying traffic laws, staying mindful of

bystanders and cars, and refraining from riding scooters at high speeds.

“It is a new piece of equipment that we’re all just getting used to,” Hurley said. “But as long as people are obeying the law and taking precautions, they should stay safe.”

Back on campus, McIntosh said her accident has given her good reason to mistrust scooters. She said she thinks scooters shouldn’t be available because they’re “unnecessary and dangerous.”

“I was talking to a classmate, and they have a friend who had to have 40 stitches in their head because they face-planted falling off of (a scooter),” McIntosh said.

While the scooter debate rages on, students like McIntosh are learning how to maneuver around campus without being flattened by the occasional rogue scooter.

Still, McIntosh said, she wishes scooters weren’t on her list of daily campus hazards to avoid. “(Scooters) are dangerous,” McIntosh said. “They’re definitely not something I want flying around campus.”

I surely didn’t set out to be popular,” Higgs Hyppolite said. “I do set out to want to make a difference in the lives of people, that’s kind of why I do the work I do today.”

Higgs Hyppolite said she hopes to bring her genuine self to that work at OU every day.

“I think it’s important to know yourself and to take you into any situation that you go into,” Higgs Hyppolite said.

“It doesn’t make any sense for you to have 17, 18, 19 years of being yourself and then feel like you have to stop being you to be accepted or fit into

specific places.”

Higgs said one of his daughter’s most prominent traits is a clear mindset on what is right and wrong, and a blunt but professional honesty he said she will bring to OU in addressing racist incidents — like OU professor Peter Gade’s use of the N-word in class, which occurred the same morning The Daily spoke with Higgs.

“She will speak her mind — even at the cost of her job if it’s necessary,” Higgs said. “She will be nice about it, she will be very professional, because that’s the way she’s been

taught. ... I think if (Gade) has to sit down and talk with her or go before a committee with her in it — I think he’s going to meet his match.”

Hyppolite added that he expects Higgs Hyppolite to make a lasting contribution at OU. “She’s a very formidable woman with a lot of gravitas,” Hyppolite said. “She is everything you can ask in someone who is leading the charge for social mobility.”

These are not toys. These are motorized vehicles. … You never know when your life will change in an instant. If you get so caught up in the moment that safety starts to go out the window, that’s when bad things can start to happen.

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Strolling down the sidewalk, heading to her Russian class, Kaitlyn McIntosh gazed around at the bright, beautiful morning. She took a long, deep breath of the crisp, invigorating air, rounded a corner, and — SPLAT. The previously upright McIntosh found herself flat on the sidewalk. When she looked up, she saw a khaki-clad scooter rider zipping away.

“He just rammed right into me and knocked me to the ground,” OU social work junior McIntosh said. “At least it slowed them down a little bit, but they just kept going.”

McIntosh said she managed to jump out of the way when she had to react, but the rider nicked her backpack and took her down. McIntosh said the rider was going at least 15 mph.

“I was pretty pissed,” McIntosh said. “I was fine, but I bruised my booty.”

Love them or hate them, scooters are here to stay at OU. While the majority of scooter rides end without incident, safety for riders and pedestrians is a growing concern in cities and campuses that have introduced scooters.

Kyle Hurley, emergency room system manager at Norman Regional Hospital, said he’s seen an uptick in scooter-related injuries since the introduction of Bird and Lime scooters on campus.

Common injuries can range from twisting or spraining an ankle to major injuries such as concussions from being thrown over the handlebars after a sudden stop.

“We’ve seen a lot of fractured arms and dislocated shoulders,” Hurley said.

“There are a variety of trauma injuries.”

In a study conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association, the highest concentrations of scooter-related injuries were soft-tissue injuries at 27.7 percent, fractures at 31.7 percent and head injuries at 40.2 percent. Only 4.4 percent of riders in the study wore a helmet.

-Sgt. Shane Tuell, Tulsa Police Department

Beth Wallis

bethwallis@ou.edu

Blake Douglas

bdoug99@ou.edu

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CULTURE

Feb. 24-March 1, 2020 •

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Music seniors prepare recitals Capstone project gives students freedom to choose SAM TONKINS

@samanthatonkins

Vocal performance senior Natasha Naik speaks to a reporter on Feb. 12 at Catlett Music Center.

pieces that are interesting to her, with dissonant chords and cool rhythms. She is working on a set by Florence B. Price, the first African American woman to have her work performed by a major symphony orchestra, the Chicago Symphony.

Naik said by having the freedom to select her own performance pieces, she can include repertoire that is often overlooked and not used by larger ensembles.

“It’s great to do female composers’ works and people of color’s works because a lot of those aren’t done nearly as much in the classical music world,” Naik said.

Downey chose two recital pieces before she even began her time at OU. “I kept a promise to my 16-year-old self that I would play the Walton and the Schubert concerto in a recital my senior year,” Downey said.

Preparing for a recital varies for each student. Most start a year before their recital, selecting their repertoire and learning pieces, Naik said. She learned some of her pieces last fall but has the majority of her recital to learn this semester.

Naik said she practices with her vocal coach, her main professor and her accompanist each once a week, but she practices by herself every day

of the week.

Downey also practices every day. She said she works on memorization, which requires her to play pieces of the song again and again.

“I play them through five times perfectly, really extra slowly,” Downey said. “Doing that every single day and playing through everything really slowly in a super repetitive fashion so that you’re really ingraining the muscle memory in your mind like a blueprint, it’ll never leave your memory.”

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The purpose of a teacher in music is to teach you how to teach yourself in the real world.

-Freya Downey,

viola performance senior

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When viola performance senior Freya Downey was in fifth grade, she told her dad music was not her future.

“I told him I was never going to be a musician,” Downey said. “I was going to be a veterinarian, and he was like, ‘Oh, we’ll see about that.’”

Now, after playing the viola for 11 years, Downey is preparing to graduate. Before she can walk across the stage in May, however, she has to assemble and perform a solo recital.

The senior recital is the second half of the senior capstone for students in the School of Music. In addition to writing a research paper, students studying performance or music education are required to perform a recital they put together themselves.

Natasha Naik, vocal performance senior, said the recital requirements vary depending on the student’s major. Vocal performance seniors have to memorize all of their music and prepare pieces in four languages: English, French, German and Italian.

“I have to go through and translate all the language and make sure I know how to pronounce it correctly before I start learning the music,” Naik said.

The requirements are less rigid for instrumental musicians, Downey said. The recital is 45 minutes long, and she is required to play one piece from memory.

“It’s not any different from preparing for any other type of performance,” Downey said.

“It’s just more repertoire.”

As students are able to select their own pieces, Naik said they are able to pick works that are meaningful and fun to them.

“I have a friend who is putting a bunch of jazz on his recital, and I have another friend who is doing more musical theater on theirs,” Naik said. “People adjust it to how they want to make their recital, so long as they meet the requirements.”

Naik said she chose recital

Downey said the OU faculty helped her understand her pieces and what they mean to her, allowing her to discover her own interpretations of the pieces, but mostly, they let her have free reign over the process, offering advice when needed.

“The purpose of a teacher

in music is to teach you how to teach yourself in the real world,” Downey said.

Elizabeth Avery, associate professor of music and vocal coach, said she works with the singers on their diction and interpretation of their songs.

She said it is rewarding to see the final product of months of preparation.

“It’s also a huge feat — mentally and physically — to sing an hour of music memorized, with good technique, diction and interpretation,” Avery wrote in an email. “So it really requires the students to push themselves beyond their perceived limitations and to give their best under pressure.”

Aver y said the recital process creates a sense of self-confidence in the performers, which can prepare students for future careers in music.

“Our students aren’t just talented — they must work incredibly hard if they want to have a successful and fulfilling career,” Avery said. “It requires deep commitment and unwavering courage to keep going when things get hard or we face rejection.”

Naik said the recital process allows her to learn new things about various styles of music.

“Every time you learn a different piece of music, you learn some new strategy for

learning music, because there’s things you haven’t encountered before,” Naik said.

Sarah Spurlin, vocal performance senior, put her recital together in three months.

Spurlin, who performed her recital last November, said she learned how to get out of her head in between sets, which enabled her to give her best performance.

“I learned really well how to center myself in between each set, because each song and each set is a different mood,” Spurlin said. “It’s different feelings you are trying to convey, and it’s really emotionally exhausting.”

In addition to learning about music, Downey said preparing for her recital allowed her to discover new things about herself.

“You learn about yourself in a soulful way, I guess,” Downey said. “The music becomes a part of you the more you work on it.”

The senior recitals also prepare students for their futures.

Spurlin said she’s glad she did her recital in the fall because she has multiple pieces already prepared as she applies for graduate school.

“Doing my senior recital in the fall has given me a whole slate of new (repertoire) to take to my graduate school auditions, and a lot of it is lesser

done, which makes me stand out from other people who do the same stuff,” Spurlin said.

Naik said the recital process has helped her understand how to learn the music correctly, which will help her in future jobs.

“Learning music is going to be like 75 percent of my career, that and auditioning and hoping I get hired,” Naik said.

While the recital is necessary to graduate, it’s not the part that is graded. Two weeks before their assigned recital date, seniors perform pieces of their repertoire in front of a panel of professors. If students pass this preview, then they can perform their recital and finish their capstone.

Spurlin said the recital itself can be daunting, but it’s a low-pressure situation.

“It’s nerve-racking because you’re getting on stage and bearing your soul in front of a bunch of people,” Spurlin said.

“But the thing you have to pass is the preview, and then the recital is just for you. The recital is how you have fun.”

Students are responsible for advertising their recital themselves. Naik said she plans to make a Facebook event, hang posters in the School of Music buildings and tell everyone she meets to come to her performance.

She said the recital is a culmination of months of work, and it’s rewarding to perform it to the community.

“Now I get people to actually see it, so it’s actually worth it,” Naik said. “It’s not just me singing in the practice room to a wall.”

Naik said the recital is also a way for a musician to thank their friends, family and professors for their involvement in the student’s education.

“This is a thank you for you helping me get to the point where I can put on this length of recital,” Naik said.

Spurlin said a recital is very intimate and personal, but it should also be shared.

“It’s a big deal to do a recital, and if you get the opportunity to go to one, you totally should,” Spurlin said, “because that’s a lot of work your friend has been putting in, and they just want to show it off.”

Sam Tonkins

samantha.tonkins@ou.edu

Board game club ‘connects four’ fun, friends Growing group looks to business for supplies, space KELCI MCKENDRICK @kelciimack

Every Thursday night, a group of OU students gather in Headington College to play board games and build community. One enters the room to the sounds of snacks being crunched, dice hitting the table and cards being shuffled, with conversations, laughter and friendly debate in the mix.

Room D127 in Headington has tables and chairs set up for members of the OU Board and Card Game Club to gather as they play games, including current favorites “Root” and “Betrayal at House on the Hill.”

For three hours, members play, debate, laugh, relax, argue and have fun as they take a board game break from life. “(The club) is a place where you can come sit down and just play a game and forget about college for a bit,” said Brady Bell, journalism junior and president of the club.

Bell said the club was created four years ago by a group of seniors who wanted to have officer positions on their resumes, while also doing the thing they loved — playing board games.

Board games allow people to connect with each other, and the club brings board gamers together once a week for that interaction, Bell said.

Bell’s favorite game right now is “Dune,” which he described as “deceptively simple.”

“If you’re watching a movie or TV show or reading a book, there’s never that level of interaction,” Bell said. “If you’re playing a video game, you’re not staring at the person you’re backstabbing and then twisting the knife. In board games, you have to look at your friend and say, ‘I’m OK with what I did.’”

DC Bueller, one of the owners of Commonspace Game Cafe, formerly Loot & XP, said there are many types of board games: deck-building, roll and write, strategy, hit and roll, trivia, bluffing and party games. All of these bring a sense of togetherness, Bueller said.

“Being able to have that interaction is so special these days — the social, physical, face-to-face interaction,” Bueller said, “because with screens taking up so much time … it’s nice to be able to be in front of someone, roll some dice and have a good laugh.”

Board games have rules, Bell said, but the beauty in playing them is that gamers are able to break the rules and make new ones.

Finn Guttery, information studies senior and club vice president, said the atmosphere of the club keeps him coming back every week. “(The club) is becoming a really nice community,” Guttery said, “and it is so much fun to be able to just drop everything Thursday nights and

going and saying ‘Hi’ to everybody and play games.”

Members gather around the tables and play whatever games have been donated to the club or games brought in by members for the night.

Rules are read, and the games begin. Snacks are welcome, and members will bring food such as cookies for everyone.

Guttery said one of the best things about the club is that it’s a smaller group, which Bell

place, but at the same time, it’s fully open,” said Villanueva, a film and media studies senior and member of the club.

The club is an inclusive space, and Bell said the club strives to be diverse and open — that its members from the LGBTQ community, minorities and other groups all have a safe place to play.

“We want everybody to know that games like this are for everyone,” Bell said.

JACKSON STEWART/THE DAILY

Members of the OU Board and Card Game Club play the board game “Root” on Feb. 20 in Headington College.

said makes it easier to play games and meet people without the intimidation of a large crowd. Sometimes after meetings, Guttery said the group will go to Waffle House, where they continue to talk about games over waffles.

Guttery, Bell and other members have worked hard to make their club feel homey.

Diego Villanueva said that’s how the club makes him feel.

“It’s a very non-stressful

From simple games like “Monopoly” or “Ticket to Ride” to complex games like “Twilight Imperium,” the club plans to play them all.

In 2016, there were about 12 members, and eight of them were seniors who graduated.

Bell said everyone thought the club was going to die out.

The four remaining members became the officers the next year, including Bell, and through bringing in their

friends, putting up flyers and sending out mass emails for the next few years, club attendance increased.

“We’ve actually not only managed to survive — we’ve actually managed to grow,” Bell said.

The club now has an average of 15 people every week, Bell said, and the group is planning a murder mystery game in the Oklahoma Memorial Union later this semester.

Guttery’s goal is to keep the same enjoyable atmosphere of the club as it grows. “(The club) provides — especially as we grow — a nice, comfortable environment for anybody to come in there, and then as we get bigger, hopefully the other members will continue to foster that,” Guttery said. “So even if it does get bigger, it’s still a comfortable environment.”

Bell said he plans on running for president again next year, and part of his job will be ensuring the club lives on. He hopes a younger member will run for an officer position.

“The best way to have something keep going is if people are invested,” Bell said, “and if we can do that with our silly little hobby, we can keep it going forever because there’s always going to be people who enjoy this.”

The problem is people taking their games after they graduate. Bell has donated a few games to the club, but he said he wants to keep some that he brings in, as does

Guttery.

To help with this, Bell and Guttery said a partnership is in the works with a board gamebased cafe that is scheduled to open next month.

Commonspace Game Cafe, which will open in midMarch, is “100 percent on board” with a partnership, Bueller said. The partnership would allow members of the club to meet at the cafe on Lindsey Street and would provide access to many games. “(We’d like to) get people to experience a wider spectrum of games,” Bueller said.

“There’s still so many people that are nervous to take that first step into something new and outside their comfort zone. … Just showing them that the games may take a little bit more time to learn, but the fun and replayability they get from newer games that are coming out blow all the classics out of the water.”

After Commonspace opens, the club and the cafe will be able to get the dice rolling on a potential partnership. Until then, from 6:30–9 p.m. every Thursday in Room D127 in Headington College is where the magic happens.

“There’s just so many different ways — so many levels — that I think anybody can come in, sit down and say, ‘Hi, teach me something,’ and we will find something for them,” Bell said.

Kelci McKendrick kmckendrick@ou.edu

4

CULTURE

• Feb. 24-March 1, 2020

Q&A with student rap collective Possum Haus discusses goals, social influences

ELAINA EDDLEMON @EddlemonElaina

For the three OU students who form local rap group Possum Haus, collaborating and performing around Norman and Oklahoma City encourages hard work, creativity and innovation.

The three students are art senior Caleb Elliott, biology junior Damond Brewer and art senior Alex L easau. The group was formed in 2017 by Elliott and Leasau, with Brewer joining in 2018. The group’s first album, “Postmortem Undoubtedly,� was released in 2019.

Possum Haus uses contemporar y rap styles to discuss societal issues regarding topics like race and poverty, and its songs also address working toward success amid struggle. The group described its genre as conscious rap and its sound as eloquent and unapologetic.

The Daily spoke w ith Elliott and Brewer about their group, their history and their plans for the future.

What’s the story behind the name Possum Haus? process has been, “Let’s record right now and go over E l l i o t t : T h e n a m e i s it later.�

Possum Haus because I call Other times it’s more my house a possum house structured (or) more freebecause there were a lot of style. S ome tracks take possums when I moved in. minutes, and others take Also, the idea of a possum months. There are different is a dirty, greasy animal, types of energies that go into kind of misunderstood, and creating songs. There are the idea of it in an art col- certain things we expect out lective is the way we want to of each other, but in terms present ourselves, like the of creating music, it’s a very scope and intent of what we collaborative environment. want to do.

Brewer: We record in various locations, predominantWhat’s your goal as a ly the possum’s (Elliott’s) group? What’s your dyhouse. namic like, and where do you create?

Do you see yourselves pursuing music after college?

Elliott: What we are trying to do is make Possum Elliott: For me, I am oneHaus one of the most pro- track minded when it comes nounced, innovative re- to this. This is the only thing cord labels in the state of I want to do in my life.

Oklahoma and hopefully Brewer: I’m pursuing my the world eventually. degree to secure my future We have various ways of and have a fall-back plan, going about it. We’re all in- and mostly to appease my house in terms of our pro- mother, but I want to conduction. As of lately, our tinue my dream.

Do you see your group expanding outside of Norman?

art, just to focus.

Brewer: I look up to artists for their moral values, like J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, because of their conscious output and their rags-toriches story, which is something I relate to.

Elliott: There’s a point where we have to expand outward. There’s a good music scene in Oklahoma, but it’s not at the level of progression we want it to be at — Where do you usually there’s kind of a connotation perform? with being an Oklahoma artist. Nonetheless, that’s our Elliott: We’ve done about truth. That’s who we are. four shows, and our last big show was at Resonator. The Where do you get your in- last time we performed tospiration from? gether was at an open mic at Hubbly Bubbly in Oklahoma Elliott: I’m going to step City. outside of rap, I would say the artist Grimes — she realPossum Haus’ upcoming ly inspires me. performances can be found Another artist that in- on the group’s Instagram, spires me — not necessarily @thepossumhaus. musically — is a graffiti artEditor’s note: This interist, Zexor. The thing that inspired me as a musician is view was edited for clarity what he puts into his art, just and brevity. the amount of commitment that he had to be successful in his own way. I found that’s Elaina Eddlemon what I need to do with my elaina.k.eddlemon-1@ou.edu Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg February 24, 2020

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Members of Possum Haus discuss their history and future plans Feb. 18 in Fred Jones Jr. Art Center.

Previous Solution

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.

ACROSS 1 Try to tear 6 Dried poblano pepper 11 Casbah cap 14 Southwestern brick 15 Less decorated 16 Anger 17 Hard candies kept in apt containers (first 2 letters + last 2) 19 Trained for a marathon 20 Either “E� in ESE 21 Impress, perhaps?

23 Car loan letters 25 Wears away 27 Vowelless PC key 30 Prefix for “metric�

31 Battering ___ 32 Bear buddy of Mowgli 33 Clumsy sort 34 Business slumps 37 Select group of invitees 38 ’80s dance party staples kept in apt containers (first 3 + last 2) 42 Bungle 43 Delhi dress 44 Word before “force� or “the Force�

46 Asian dish that’s skewered before a food critic tries it

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49 Bear buddy of John Bennett 50 Situated above 51 Alf’s home planet 54 ___ de parfum 55 Fix, as a shoe bottom 57 Campus official 59 Have the rights to 61 Morning jolt sources kept in apt containers (first 1 + last 3) 65 Adversary 66 Justice Samuel 67 Nickname hidden in “Grand Marnier�

68 Tina of “30 Rock�

69 Minister’s home 70 Alluded to DOWN 1 “The Big Bang Theory� character 2 Boise’s state: Abbr.

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10 Words after an estimate 11 Single silver bar wearer 12 Timeline segment 13 Buddhist discipline 18 Online brokerage firm 22 Upper massage target 23 Back in time 24 Heavy jacket 26 Drops a name, say?

28 Antarctic waters 29 Auction offering 32 Bleat 35 School fundraiser grp.

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40 Unlikely to thrive in group settings 41 Harangue 42 Org. with merit badges 45 www.stanford.___ 48 Sore wrist application 51 Money, in slang 52 Like Santa’s helpers 53 Some turns on the road 56 Con game 58 Sleek design prefix 59 Amiss 60 Bad luck in love, e.g.

62 Abbr. in a help wanted ad 63 Actress Vardalos 64 Ready, as an alarm

PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER

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Contain Yourself by Paul Coulter

Shipley Do-Nuts opens in Norman Texas doughnut company opens on Main Street SAM TONKINS

@samanthatonkins

The long-awaited Norman location of Shipley Do-Nuts opened Feb. 19 on Main Street.

The Texas-based doughnut company, which originated in Houston sells a variety of doughnuts and pastries, including glazed, chocolate and cake doughnuts, and cinnamon rolls, according to the website.

The Norman location was announced in an Instagram post in October 2019 and was expected to

open in late 2019 or early 2020.

Members of the Norman community are already enjoying the new location with cars lining up and a packed parking lot.

Shipley Do-Nuts is located at 1805 W. Main St near DQ and across the street from Sooner Dairy Lunch.

Editor’s note: The Daily reached out to Shipley DoNuts management Feb. 20 and did not receive a response before publication.

As of 3 p.m. Feb. 20, the Norman store has yet to be updated on the chain’s website w ith hours of operation.

Sam Tonkins

samantha.tonkins@ou.edu

HOROSCOPE

By Eugenia Last

Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Look, observe, evaluate and find a way to help others. Your input will make a difference and will push you to make life-improving adjustments.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- If you jump into something without doing your homework first, you’ll end up in a vulnerable position. Be moderate and mindful. Choose love over chaos. Think things through.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Adjust whatever needs to be tweaked and keep moving forward. Your insight and sensitivity toward others will guide you down a path filled with promise.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Take better care of yourself mentally, emotionally and physically. Listen carefully and refuse to follow someone’s impulsive action. Say no to indulgence and temptation. Be kind to yourself.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Take the plunge and do something that matters. If you stand up for the underdog, you will make a difference and feel good about what you accomplish.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Take care of responsibilities and get on with your day. Don’t linger too long in any one place, or you will leave yourself open for criticism. Treat yourself to something beautiful.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Fix what needs to be fixed and enjoy what you accomplish. Use your creativity to bring greater joy to yourself and your loved ones.

An unexpected opportunity looks promising.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Take a moment to rejuvenate.

Refuse to let what others do or say influence your actions. Focus on what brings you joy, even if it’s something that you do all by CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Live in yourself. the moment, enjoy what life has to offer and prioritize happiness. You CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- An have more control than you realize. unusual path will lead to a learning experience that will benefit you for Set a precedent in order to gain years to come. Give your all, and popularity and support. you’ll get what you want. It’s OK to LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Use charm be different. to your advantage. Don’t jump to conclusions or make a fuss when a AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -Look inward, make a change that kind word or hug is all it takes to pleases you and take better care of get what you want. yourself. Exercise, diet and rest will help clear your mind. If you feel good, you will do good.

SPORTS

Feb. 24-March 1, 2020 •

5

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Freshman Vanessa Deniz performs her beam routine at the Perfect 10 Challenge against Stanford on Feb. 21 in Oklahoma City.

Flexible freshman flourishes MASON YOUNG @Mason_Young_0

There was no apprehension in Vanessa Deniz’s mind as she prepared to take the floor on a Friday night at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

With Oklahoma holding a sizable lead over opponents Denver, Alabama and Georgia entering the final rotation of the 2020 Metroplex Challenge, OU head coach K.J. Kindler decided senior Maggie Nichols need not overexert herself.

In Nichols’ stead, Kindler turned to Deniz, a freshman from Millstone Township, New Jersey, who had just made her collegiate debut earlier that evening, competing on bars and beam.

“I know that whenever we’re put into that position, it’s because we’re ready for it, so I wasn’t nervous,” Deniz said.

“I was more excited to do it because my coaches believed in me and my teammates believed in me enough to put me in that spot.”

Fueled by a love of gymnastics she fostered at a young age, Deniz’s hard work before her arrival in Oklahoma prepared her to answer the call.

She waited a long time to see her dream of competing at a top-level school be fulfilled.

She overcame a gruesome injury just to be in the lineup that night.

She was ready to go, and she showed it.

Deniz leaped, danced and tumbled her way to a 9.9, claiming a share of the floor crown in her first collegiate meet and delivering one of the heaviest blows in another Sooner victory.

It was a moment of exuberant celebration, both for her friends and family observing from afar and for the group from her previous gym watching her perform in person.

“She was so proud of herself,” said her sister, Destiny.

“And it was everything I could have wished for her.”

‘A REALLY FANTASTIC GYMNAST’ At 3 years old, Vanessa watched gymnastics for the first time with the 2004 Summer Olympics on television, igniting her passion for the sport. She begged her mother, Mariela, to sign her up for gym, and her wish was granted. Destiny came along to train with her.

The two already shared a

strong bond thanks to their shared hobbies of painting, shopping and their love for the beach. Together, they embarked on a long journey through the various levels of competition while encouraging each other every step of the way.

“I’ve always been really confident in myself, so I definitely would always help her with that,” Destiny said. “As for me, I feel like I’ve always been inspired by her work ethic.

She trains so hard and she’s so loyal to what she wants to do.”

Eventually, the pair found themselves under the tutelage

“

Gymnastics. There, her hard work continued under the supervision of Ann and Valdi Kolasa.

“Everything we put in front of her, every drill, every extra conditioning, she just did it all, and she became a really fantastic gymnast,” Ann said.

“The first year we had her was the first time she made it to nationals.”

Mariela said Vanessa had been trying to qualify for nationals for three years prior to her arrival at Arena. In 2017, she finally reached her desired destination, placing seventh on beam in the contest. From

She always had talent, but what I like most about her is is she’s a hard worker, and that’s what pretty much got her through everything.

-Mike Krotchko, gymnastics coach

of coaches Mike and Candy Krotchko when Vanessa reached a crossroads in her career.

“She was having a lot of doubts,” Candy said. “She was hitting that age where you’re going to push through or you’re done.”

A change in scenery brought out the best in Vanessa. After attending public school for most of elementary school, she began homeschooling through the gym.

She would arrive, run through one practice, then take classes online before practicing again.

Mariela said it was the best schedule Vanessa ever had, with her day finishing when some gymnasts would be starting practice. It allowed her to keep her own pace with both school and gym, which helped her to grow.

While her knack for gymnastics was undeniable, her coaches said Vanessa wasn’t the most polished gymnast when she began working with them. They had to teach her how to use her abilities in the right way and, once she learned what to do with her skills, her hard work helped her improve.

“She always had talent,” Mike said, “but what I like most about her is she’s a hard worker, and that’s what pretty much got her through everything.”

Vanessa returned to public school for her sophomore year to reacclimate herself with traditional education as a step toward her hopes of going to a top collegiate gymnastics program.

She also switched gyms, taking her talents to Arena

“

Vanessa Deniz starts strong across gymnastics events

there, the rest of her goals fell in line.

In 2018, she was even better.

She dominated regionals with first place finishes on bars, beam and floor and the top finish in the all-around on her way to nationals.

Following what had been the best meet of Vanessa’s career, Ann reached out to OU assistant coach Tom Haley to see if the Sooners still had a spot available. After receiving some video, Oklahoma’s

thereafter. Her mother said the weekend-long official visit in October 2018 fortified her decision and made what she had accomplished even more surreal.

“Everything about it was incredible,” Mariela said. “Any time you saw her on the weekend, her smile was bigger than her face.”

‘10 TIMES MORE’ As Deniz prepared for her senior season, she was poised for her best year yet. Her coaches expected her to have a shot at winning nationals outright, until an accident derailed those hopes.

During a typical practice in January 2019, Deniz was transitioning from the high bar to the low bar, when a momentary lapse of concentration caused her to miss the high bar. She broke her fall with her arms, dislocating her right elbow and severing her UCL, an injury with the potential to end her career.

“The injury was devastating for all of us,” Valdi said. “When you hear something like this, a lot of thoughts go through your mind. Is she going to be okay? Will she be able to come back to gymnastics because of the injury?”

A resilient Deniz quickly answered those questions.

Though she wasn’t allowed to train, she was still at practice every day. She spent a great

likely be able to return to the sport she loved. Through the six-month road of recovery, she exceeded expectations.

“From when that happened, (K.J. Kindler) and (OU athletic trainer Jenn Richardson) were giving us a lot of help on the best way to bring her back and the best physical therapy and all that,” Ann said. “And every little ounce that she was giving, she did it 10 times more than anybody else. It got her to where she is.”

When Deniz departed for Oklahoma in June 2019, Ann said she had already returned to roughly 50 percent strength.

It was a start, and although it was still uncertain whether or not she would be able to compete for the Sooners in 2020, she continued to progress upon her arrival in Norman.

“Coming up to intersquad in December, you started to see the strength that she would have,” Kindler said. “I think that every week that goes by she gets stronger, and more confident, and more capable.”

Deniz returned to competition far quicker than anticipated, making her debut on that fateful January evening in Fort Worth. She was later named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for her efforts.

Finally healthy, her impact in the Sooners’ lineup continues on an every-meet basis.

She’s won Big 12 Newcomer of the Week twice and has

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

coaches informed Ann of their interest.

Their intrigue grew after her breakout at 2018 nationals, where she placed fourth on vault, bars and floor and ninth in the all-around.

Ultimately, the Sooners gave her an offer at season’s end, and she accepted shortly

deal of time straightening her arm in an effort to ward off surgery, and it worked. Through physical therapy, she fashioned the appendage back into good enough shape that an operation wasn’t needed.

In the minds of her coaches, there was now a glimmer of hope knowing she would

racked up career highs of 9.9 and 9.925 on bars and floor, respectively.

“She has such a library of skills on bars. What you see her competing, there’s so much more depth behind that that she can draw from,” Mike said. “And on floor, it’s like vault, she has a lot of twisting

skills where she’s an excellent twister, and she has some elegant lines and is a good dancer, and she can make that event really stand out for her as well.”

Vanessa has only performed on beam once as a Sooner, and her injury has prevented her from vaulting, but her anticipated return to training for all four events next year will give her a chance to be an all-around competitor for the Sooners. The role will be up for grabs upon Nichols’ looming departure.

“She has a lot more left in the tank,” Kindler said.

“There’s a lot of skills she’s not doing now that she’s capable of that I know she’ll want to insert in the future.”

‘THE LASTING IMPRESSION’ As Ann and the others from Arena who had come to cheer Deniz on in the Metroplex Challenge watched her sign autographs after the meet, they saw a glimpse of the future. She talked to the young girls who asked for her signature as if they were the most important people in the world.

“She knew the magnitude of what she was to them and she asked them for their name and what level they were and where they’re from ... she just really took her time with each kid,” Ann said.

The humility Deniz displayed at that moment was a perfect picture of her character and the gratitude her coaches say she has for her position at OU. “She’s just a very appreciative and grateful person,” Ann said. “She’s at the best program in the country, and she knows that that’s not something that everybody gets, even if they’re good enough.”

While Deniz’s advancement as a competitor is important to the maintenance of the successful squad that Kindler has built, her future as a charismatic leader is also crucial.

If she continues to develop and succeed while avoiding injuries, she will have opportunities to make her mark on the program as an athlete, but those closest to her say the mark she’ll leave as a person may resonate even more.

“I think, actually, her character is going to be the lasting impression she’s going to make on the program,” Ann said, “even more than her 9.9s and 10s.”

Mason Young

mason.e.young-1@ou.edu

6

SPORTS

• Feb. 24-March 1, 2020

OU falls short in Bedlam game Frustration runs high after loss to Oklahoma State CHANDLER ENGELBRECHT @ctengelbrecht

It wasn’t O klahoma’s night.

Frustration began to sink in for the Sooners in the final few minutes of their 83-66 loss to Oklahoma State on Feb. 22.

That frustration was depicted as both sophomore guard Jamal Bieniemy and freshman forward Victor Iwuakor picked up technical fouls in the final two minutes of play.

“After the first few minutes, I didn’t think that was much of a battle,” head coach Lon Kruger said.

“Oklahoma State was sharp.

I thought they were the aggressor, I thought they were terrific in every way. They were quicker in everything, quicker to the ball, quicker to the boards ... especially in the last 30 minutes. We’ve got to learn from it and take big steps.”

One could assume that both players’ frustration stemmed from Oklahoma’s 7-26 shooting from 3 on the night, or from Oklahoma State’s 43-30 edge in rebounding, or even from O k l a h o m a’s 1 3 t o t a l turnovers.

All would be good guesses — it could even be an accumulation of the three — but perhaps OU’s lack of discipline down the stretch is due to one overwhelming statistic: Oklahoma is now on a three-game losing skid.

As the NCAA tournament draws closer and closer, a three-game losing streak is

Senior forward Kristian Doolittle dribbles during the game against Oklahoma State on Feb. 22 in Stillwater.

not something a team on the bubble can afford.

“We’re gonna be about the next game, like we do every one,” Kruger said.

“Certainly, it can go either direction for a lot of teams right now. (We have) four games left in conference play, we gotta have the attitude of each game being one we have to have ... that will be the (mindset) for each of the four next games.”

For the Sooners to dance come March, they’ll need

to improve in the areas they faltered in on Saturday — specifically in their reb o u n d i n g a n d 3 -p o i n t shooting performance.

Oklahoma’s poor performance on the glass can possibly be attributed to redshirt junior forward Kur Kuath’s early foul trouble.

He picked up three early fouls in Saturday’s game and was sidelined for the majority of the first half.

The 6-foot-10 player’s absence for most of the night

Sooner baseball faces ups and downs early After long week of play, OU holds 7-2 record on season JORDAN GLEDHILL @J_gled

No. 16 Oklahoma finished off a six-game week of baseball with a split in Saturday’s doubleheader against Illinois State.

The Sooners won a backand-forth affair, 3-2, in game one, but they failed to completely come back from an early 5-0 deficit in a 7-5 loss in the four-game series finale.

Despite the loss in the finale, the Sooners finished the week with a 5-1 record and will head to Houston on Feb. 27 with a 7-2 record on the season.

Here are thre e takeaways from the weekend: SOONERS DEALT WITH MENTAL FATIGUE When Conor McKenna came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning of Saturday’s series finale, he was stepping into the batter’s box for the 10th time in two days. The Sooners were in the middle of their 54th inning of the week, and physical and mental fatigue was certainly setting in.

But the Sooners fought to try to tie the game back up. McKenna worked a 3-2 count before clubbing an RBI double to left, and senior Brandon Zaragoza drew a walk to put the tying run at the plate.

Even after the Sooners went down 5-0 in the early innings of the game, senior Brady Lindsly scored three on a homer to cut the deficit to two, and the offense manufactured its fourth run just an inning

later.

The long week of baseball certainly gives the players an opportunity to respond to the natural inclinations toward mental fatigue.

“You can’t get mentally fatigued in this game because that’s what it wants you to do, feel sorry for y o u r s e l f,” h e a d c o a c h Skip Johnson said. “It’s going to be tough on them.

They’re on their feet all the time, and they’re just doing sprint after sprint. ... It’s really a tribute to our strength coach, Tim Overman.”

WYATT OLDS’ SUCCESS IN FIRST START SHOWED VERSATILITY 2020 might end up being the transition year for Wyatt Olds. The sophomore from McLoud, Oklahoma, made his first collegiate start on Saturday and allowed just one hit on one earned run and struck out nine hitters in six strong innings of work. Less than a week earlier, Olds pitched three scoreless relief innings against Virginia to pick up the win in the rubber match.

Johnson said he hopes to slowly transition Olds into a full-time starter role in 2021, but he is still unsure exactly what the future will hold for the righthander. For now, Olds will likely serve as a versatile pitcher who can start a midweek or fourth-weekend game while also being a go-to ar m out of the bullpen. “(My role) doesn’t really affect me,” Olds said.

“I just want whatever’s best for the team — if it’s coming out of the pen it’s

coming out of the pen, if it’s starting it’s starting.

We try not to give credit to anybody, we’re all just a band of brothers.”

OFFENSE STRUGGLED AS WEEK PROGRESSED, PARTICULARLY WITH RUNNERS IN SCORING POSITION The Sooners combined for 26 runs in their two midweek games against Texas Southern, but they struggled offensively down the stretch against Illinois State, scoring just 13 runs across the four games.

The offense particularly failed to execute with runners in scoring position, hitting just 5-42 on t h e w e e ke n d i n p r i m e run-scoring opportunities.

“It’s a sign of guys trying too hard,” Johnson said.

“When you start trying really hard in this game, you fail. You just have to execute. It’s a game of strategy, and it’s a game of perfection.

“We’ll continue to grow as a team on Monday, do some things that we need to get better at, the little bitty things.”

One of the major bright spots of the OU offense was Tanner Tredaway.

The junior outfielder went 8-for-17 in the four games with six extra-base hits, a pair of RBIs and five runs scored.

T h e N o. 1 6 S o o n e r s will venture south to Houston for the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic Feb. 28 through March 1, where they will be pitted against No. 11 Arkansas on Friday, Missouri on Saturday and No. 13 LSU on Sunday.

Jordan Gledhill

Jordan.r.gledhill-1@ou.edu

helped Oklahoma State score 36 total points in the paint. “(OSU’s) ability to pound inside and control the paint was a huge part of the first half, and even in the second half, they were great,” Kruger said.

O k l a h o m a’s 3 - p o i n t shooting performance was ultimately the dagger for the Sooners on Saturday night.

Junior for ward Brady Manek — who had 30 points against the Pokes on Feb. 1

— finished the game with 2 points and was 0-4 from 3-point range. Senior forward Kristian Doolittle was 1-5 from deep and had 13 points. Freshman guard De’Vion Harmon made the most 3s of any Sooner on the night, shooting 2-6 from behind the arc.

The only Sooner who did have a good scoring night was redshirt junior Austin Reaves who finished with 22 points, but even he went 1-5 from 3-point range.

TREY YOUNG/THE DAILY

“It’s never just one player,” Reaves said. “It’s a team game. Five guys are on the court for each team. As a player, you gotta do what you can do to see your team get momentum. ... Fight until the end.”

The Sooners take on Texas Tech at 8 p.m. Feb. 25 in Oklahoma City.

Chandler Engelbrecht chandler.engelbrecht@ ou.edu