Aug. 26-Sept. 2 by OU Daily

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Diversity training to begin this week

AOI shutdown ignites protests

OU launches phase 2 of plan following racist incidents in spring BLAKE DOUGLAS @Blake_Doug918

University and community leaders worked throughout the summer to advance OU’s diversity and inclusion plan into its second phase, which includes extensive programming, training sessions and other events set to begin this week. Students and faculty leaders met Aug. 5 to discuss implementation of the plan’s second phase and release an outline of the university’s goals. Phase one of the university’s diversity and inclusion plan was announced by former OU President James Gallogly in March 2019, amid five racist incidents that OU and Norman experienced during the spring semester. Two involved OU students. Teara Lander, director of campus and community engagement, said major steps were taken to prepare for the next academic year and strategize for the plan’s second phase soon after interim OU President Joseph Harroz was appointed May 15, following Gallogly’s May 12 retirement announcement. “One of the largest things we’ve done is we created a culture building and belongingness committee,” Lander said. The committee met weekly throughout the summer, Landers said, and is made up of about 10 to 12 students, faculty and staff from various campus communities including athletics, the graduate college and OU Outreach. Lander said the committee has been responsible for shaping a new campaign OU will use to encourage a diverse community and establish the university’s values. Jane Irungu, interim vice president of diversity and inclusion, said that during the summer, a major priority for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion was communicating that a plan was in place to create a more diverse campus community. The “We Are” campaign will include a number of events and advertising efforts to spread awareness of the diversity plan and its goals, Lander said. “Some of the things that we chose to look at was how to create ... a campaign that emphasizes who we are as an institution, so that if another incident happens, we’re not saying who we are not — we’re saying who we are,” Lander said. The new campaign will be launched Aug. 29, Lander said, at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s fall welcome reception. The campaign will introduce several new event series, including a “common read,” which encourages faculty, staff and students to read a book that will focus on underrepresented groups. Lander said the first book will be David Grann’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which details the murders of members of the see DIVERSITY page 3

Supporters of the American Organ Institute hold signs at the sit-in at Evans Hall on Aug. 22.

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Organ enthusiasts fight against OU decision to close musical institute BAILEY LEWIS @BaileyLewis75

BLAKE DOUGLAS @Blake_Doug918

An on-campus protest, a website shutdown and the police called — allegedly about a student banner in an OU building — numerous controversies surrounding the closure of the American Organ Institute continue to develop as activists increased their organization in the first week of the semester. Two months after the university officially announced its plan to close the institute, students, faculty and staff protested the closure once more after a week of further developments. OU first officially announced its plan to close the AOI on June 17, hours after supporters of the institute first marched to Evans Hall in opposition to the closure. Now, more employees have been terminated, incoming freshman organ students were informed they would have to change their majors before moving in, and supporters were banned — and then unbanned — from the official OU Facebook page for comments in support of the AOI. According to a university fact sheet provided Aug. 21, the institute’s closure came after an “extensive evaluation of (the AOI’s) sustainability, as well as a high-level, comprehensive financial review of the entire university resulting in $50 million in savings for the financial health of the Norman campus.” Nolan Reilly, an AOI alumnus and director of music at St. Thomas More University Parish, said AOI Director John Schwandt raised around $6.6 million after the university said the institute would require an $8.5 million endowment to “keep the doors open in perpetuity.” Included in the fundraising was a $5 million donation from the Wyncote Foundation, which Reilly said the university would not accept. “Despite generous offers from supporters, there is still not a viable plan to maintain the program and avoid the same challenges in the future that it faces today,” according to the fact sheet. “After a careful review of expenses, enrollment and long-term sustainability, OU found both personnel and operational costs could not be supported long

term, despite the pledges of support.” According to the fact sheet, OU “took steps to reconsider” the AOI’s closure through meetings with “multiple concerned constituents at the dean, provost and presidential levels,” but Reilly said Schwandt and other major donors have yet to receive a meeting with OU administration. On Aug. 17, The Daily learned four of the seven remaining AOI employees were terminated, and two freshmen with concentrations in organ technology received emails explaining they would need to change their academic plans a day after moving in, despite sending emails declaring their intent to enroll in the organ technology program as early as June. An OU spokesperson said the university had looked into the emails, adding “none of the students say they’ve gotten emails on (changing their academic plans).” But university emails obtained by The Daily addressed to Noah Smith, a freshman who intended to have a concentration in organ technology, said he should meet with an academic adviser “for other secondary emphasis options.”

“This is bigger than the American Organ Institute — the way our administration is treating higher education is unacceptable.” NOLAN REILLY, AOI ALUMNUS AND DIRECTOR OF MUSIC AT ST. THOMAS MORE UNIVERSITY PARISH

On Aug. 19, many OU alumni members said they were banned from OU’s Facebook page for commenting about the closure of the AOI, the university not accepting funding and freshmen being told to change their majors. Lauren Brookey, OU’s vice president of marketing and communications, cited the university’s community guidelines in an email to The Daily, highlighting the portion that states “the university reserves the right to remove any and all content and comments at its discretion.” However, many students and alumni were unblocked after The Daily

published an article about the banning the night of Aug. 19, and they were able to comment on the Facebook page again. On Aug. 21, OU School of Music students said the OU Police Department was called during interim OU President Joseph Harroz’s state of the university speech at Catlett Music Center because of a banner in support of the American Organ Institute and students were not warned the AOI website was being shut down. The banner, which read “Save the AOI,” was hanging above Gothic Hall. Santana Spangler-Day, a performance violin junior and Student Government Association fine arts representative, attended the speech and saw police outside the concert hall afterward. Spangler-Day said students were questioned about the banner by OUPD. “The banners were already up before members of OUPD arrived to attend the meeting where interim President Harroz was speaking,” Kesha Keith, director of OU media relations, said in an email to The Daily. “If students were questioned about hanging banners, that wasn’t by police nor had nothing to do with OUPD.” OU School of Music students also found out the AOI website had been shut down on Aug. 20. They were not given notice that the website would be shut down, so staff and faculty were unable to save the information on the website, Santana-Day said. A three-hour sit-in outside of Evans Hall followed on Aug. 22. Approximately 100 students, faculty and OU community members gathered to protest the planned closure of the AOI. The demonstration began 15 minutes before the crowd arrived at Evans Hall — around 50 students attending the event walked out of the OU School of Music’s convocation at the Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall. The group made its way toward Evans Hall holding signs that read “stand up for the arts” and “save the American Organ Institute,” then passed around water bottles and pens to sign a petition to keep the AOI during the sit-in. At the rally, Reilly presented a list of three demands to OU spokespeople asking for the reinstatement of the AOI for three years under a reduced budget to allow fundraising, reinstatement see AOI page 3

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Aug. 26-Sept. 2, 2019 •

NEWS

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

OU holds off on search committee Harroz will serve at least 15 months before decision JORDAN MILLER @jordanrmillerr

Though OU’s previous presidential search committee was formed only a month after former OU President David Boren announced his intent to retire, the new committee may not form until next summer. The OU Board of Regents announced in May that interim OU President Joseph Harroz will serve a term of at least 15 months, and that the search for the next permanent OU president will “commence at that time.” The presidential search for former OU President James Gallogly took five months to complete after the search committee was first formed. Student Government Association President Adran Gibbs said the next selection process may be much quicker. “I think it’s gonna be a little bit before anyone hears anything (about the presidential search),” Gibbs said. “I just think (the regents) are trying to get through the school year and make sure that we have some stability, at least for one year.” The presidential search committee is recommended to consist of faculty, students and staff, according to the Regents’ Policy Manual. During the previous presidential search, the 17-member committee’s composition was finalized by the regents less than two weeks after Boren announced his intent to retire, and members were chosen about a month after the

DIVERSITY: continued from page 1

Osage Nation. The committee has invited Marvin Stepson, former chief trial court judge of the Osage Nation, to speak about the book on Nov. 7. The “We Are” campaign also includes plans to regularly hold “community conversations,” which Lander said would cover topics such as unlearning racism. The first community conversation is scheduled for Sept. 24, Lander said. Lander added that plans are in motion for a “We Are” week to take place in January, and that the Office of Diversity and Inclusion has created diversity ally training, an optional fivepart series of courses available to students and faculty. The course’s parts are unlearning racism, sexism, ableism, classism and transand homo-negativity, which will be provided alongside the Gender + Equality Center. Irungu said that as the fall semester continues, the Diversity and Inclusivity Academic Council, which is responsible for coordinating and managing OU diversity initiatives, will begin to meet regularly to review feedback it has received on the plan and review the progress

AOI: continued from page 1

of the organ technology concentration and its employees, and retention of graduate assistant positions within the AOI. “This is bigger than the American Organ Institute — the way our administration

announcement. The previous committee was composed of five faculty members, three from OU’s Norman campus and two from the Health Sciences Center; two staff members, one from OU’s Norman campus and one from the Health Sciences Center; three students, one undergraduate, one graduate student and one Health Sciences Center student ; and seven outside members. The student members each had one-third of a vote, staff members had half of a vote and the remaining members had one full vote. The selection of the previous committee’s student members caused controversy when the regents told former SGA President J.D. Baker he would have to pres ent them w ith a list of nominees in seven days, roughly 24 hours before the meeting of the Undergraduate Student Congress. Although Baker was not required to receive congressional approval for the nominees, some congress members were dismayed by the late notice and felt the regents thought of SGA’s approval simply as a “rubber stamp.” Now, three months after Gallogly’s announcement of his intent to retire, Gibbs has yet to hear of plans regarding the next search committee, but said if the process of selecting student nominees remains the same, that will most likely be up to his successor as SGA president. Gibbs said he hopes this search can be more transparent than last year ’s, which required committee members to sign “confidentiality agreements” in

which they agreed not to discuss the names of any candidates or the content of search committee meetings with the public. “The public needs to be informed pretty quickly,” Gibbs said. “I just want to make sure that it’s an open search process ... I know it can be done. So we just have to make sure that everyone is aware so that it doesn’t get swept under the rug.” Based on recent talks with the OU administration and the regents, Gibbs said he thinks the university will take steps to make the next search process more transparent. “(A closed process) makes it harder on everyone else,” Gibbs said. “And as we saw with Gallogly, I mean, he just didn’t even start with the trust component ... something that wasn’t even his fault. I think it’s more than likely going to (be transparent).” Former Graduate Student Senate Chair Carrie Pavlowsky and former SGA Vice President Cameron Burleson were two of the three student members of the previous search committee. Both said they hope transparency is a bigger consideration during the next search. “I really have no qualms whatsoever with the way that it was run,” Burleson said. “I think one thing that is very understandable is, people were hoping that the transparency would expand outside of the room with just the committee and there would be some type of transparency with the university community. And that’s something that they’ll have to explore.” The university paid executive search firm Storbeck/

made on completing phase one and phase two objectives in the plan. Some of the objectives for phase two include conducting an internal review of OU’s colleges and their student body diversity, establishing annual awards celebrating “diversity champions and/or innovations” and establishing stronger institutional infrastructure for diversity efforts. OU’s colleges will now be asked to provide a report to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion as part of the internal climate survey, Irungu said, to help benchmark individual colleges’ progress toward the goals laid out by the diversity plan. Irungu said the specifics of how often diversity liaisons will meet with the office, as well as how often reports are provided, are still being discussed. “Each college is required to appoint a diversity liaison ... who’s going to work directly with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion,” Irungu said. “Whoever is appointed as a diversity officer in the college will work directly with me and my team so that we can support them as they work through the strategic plans, making sure their diversity goals align with the institutional goals and making sure that there’s accountability and that they are benchmarking their progress.”

is treating higher education is unacceptable,” Reilly said at the rally. “The administration is treating this university like a company, and that is not how you run a university.” Reilly said the number of students taking courses related to the AOI was more than 20, and the AOI brings in around $200,000 a year through repair and maintenance contracts around

KATHYRN STACY/THE DAILY

OU SGA President Adran Gibbs speaks to the class of 2023 on Aug. 18.

Pimentel & Associates more than $250,000 to recruit and vet candidates in the previous presidential search. Burleson said the firm maintained a “pretty welloiled machine” for the process, since the committee had “no real interaction with the (regents) whatsoever” while they were responsible for presenting the regents with a “short list” from which the regents chose the president The contract the firm had with the university included a clause guaranteeing the firm would conduct a replacement search if the chosen candidate “vacates

the position” within 12 months of assuming the position. But the contract states that the new search must start “immediately following the departure of the placement,” and the OU Board of Regents previously said the search would begin after 15 months. When asked Aug. 14 to comment on the timeline of the search or whether or not the university would be taking advantage of the replacement search option, a spokesperson for OU Public Affairs told The Daily they did not have an update on the answers to these questions.

Based on her experience with the firm while on the committee, Pavlowsky said she thought the university would follow a similar process and again use a search firm. “(The search firm was) ver y professional, they knew what they were doing. They were well-regarded in the field,” Pavlowsky said. “I hope whoever (the next committee chooses) is the best person for the university. And I look forward to hearing about it.”

Colleges’ reports to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion will be available online, Irungu said. “I’ll create a hub for all the reports from these colleges,” Irungu said. “Everybody will have access to that — we shall see who’s doing what and who’s not doing what, making ourselves more transparent as colleges, but also as an office.” The colleges will have relative autonomy in deciding which strategies they employ to increase diversity, Irungu said. “We are not dictating action steps to the colleges — we’re just providing a roadmap,” Irungu said. “I will be very careful not to dictate what steps they take ... these are the goals, these are the outcomes, tell me how you’re getting there. Obviously, if they’re getting there, if they’re achieving the outcome that we are looking for, that means their strategies are good.” Eddie R. Cole, associate professor of higher education at the College of William and Mary and an expert on college presidents and race, said that while the plan has many positive aspects, changes in OU’s administration could influence the effectiveness of the plan’s implementation. “The college president is an extremely important piece to the execution and effectiveness of a diversity

and inclusion plan,” Cole said. “You cannot underestimate the importance of having a president in place who’s fully behind the plan and can help lead the effort to implement said plan.” With interim OU President Joseph Harroz appointed for a term of at least 15 months by the OU Board of Regents, and Irungu serving in an interim role as vice president of diversity and inclusion, Cole said questions could arise regarding who will steward the movement in the long term. Harroz has said that diversity and inclusion is one of his top priorities as president.

“The absolute most important thing to me,” Harroz told The Daily in June, “is that we get it right around diversity and inclusion ... Race and ethnicity have to be — we have to get that right. If we don’t get that right, nothing else matters. I mean, period.” Under Gallogly, some criticized the administration’s response to spring’s racist incidents — particularly that

his rhetoric was weak and refused to explicitly name racism as the problem. Cole said unclear rhetoric can lead to the recurrence of racist issues on campus, and a president who specifically names the issue can help discourage the behavior. “What a college president says in the immediate aftermath of a racial incident sets the tone for what is important and what should be addressed,” Cole said. “Most college presidents give a very generic statement ... That’s exactly what (Gallogly) said initially. And what happens in that situation is, when you’re so vague, and you’re so generic in what you say, you’re not actually naming racism, you’re not actually naming what does not align with the university values.” Cole said that an official university response to racist incidents can be one of the most important steps in “setting in motion” and testing the university’s diversity plan. While recruiting a more diverse student body is important, Cole said, recruiting a more diverse faculty and staff can be more challenging. “Diversity is the easier part. Inclusion is the more difficult,” Cole said. “And there are numerous studies around the importance of engaging with people ... who look like you and seeing yourself represented

across a variety of university spaces. So if I’m a student of color who arrived at OU, and all of a sudden I go well into my junior year before I have a faculty member of color, what does that say?” OU’s diversity plan includes goals for an “increased number and percentage of historically underrepresented faculty, staff and administrators” to be considered for positions as candidates and hired as employees, as well as more active hiring through the Affirmative Action Plan. How Harroz — or any candidate — handles diversity and inclusion should be an important factor for the Board of Regents to consider when the time comes to appoint a permanent university president, Cole said. “College presidents answer to a variety of constituent stakeholders,” Cole said. “Most often, the people responsible for hiring do not think about a college president’s skills when it comes to dealing with diversity and inclusion and racism in the same manner that they think about ... fundraising, or when they think about a college president when it comes to building the academic profile of a university.”

Oklahoma. Roughly 15 students who said they are associated with the institute attended the rally. Within the first hour of the rally, university spokespeople exited Evans Hall to address the crowd, along with Mary Margaret Holt, dean of OU’s Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts. “We very often can’t follow our hearts, we have to follow our heads,” Holt said, adding

that one-on-one meetings with AOI students had been scheduled, and some AOI faculty could be retained beyond the end of the academic year — when the institute is scheduled to close — on an “adjunct basis.” When a student asked a spokesperson what it would take to change the university’s decision, the spokesperson thanked the student for attending, adding that “no

institute open will continue. one really has the answer.” “We’ll keep trying until “It was all show to me,” said Alvez Barkoskie, a doc- we get the answer we want,” toral organ student at OU. Reilly said. “They were clearly stonewalling. They told us to email public affairs, email the Bailey Lewis bailey.n.lewis-1@ou.edu Board of Regents, but … all people have been getting are chain emails.” The sit-in ended at 5 p.m. Blake Douglas bdoug99@ou.edu when the remaining protesters sang the OU Chant. Reilly said their effort to keep the

Aug. 29: “We Are” campaign begins Sept. 24: First community conversation

Jordan Miller

jordan.r.miller-1@ou.edu

Blake Douglas

bdoug99@ou.edu

NEWS

â&#x20AC;˘ Aug. 26-Sept. 2, 2019

Cate-lover plans reunion party Student creates event to celebrate fond times at eatery SCOTT KIRKER @scott_kirker

Muneeb Ata keeps a brick in his room at all times. The letters and biology senior keeps it there as a memory of friends discovered, freshmen welcomed and chocolate chip pancakes devoured. The brick comes from Ataâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite place to spend time during his first two years at OU: Cate Restaurants. After operating for 66 years, Cate Restaurants shut down in May 2018 to become a central production hub for OU Housing and Food. But when Cateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closing failed to generate more traffic for dining options in Cross Village as the university had hoped, OU announced in July that Cate would reopen for the fall semester and that it would cancel the parking and commercial leases for Cross Village. After his favorite hangout reopened Aug. 14, Ata planned a reunion for 3 p.m. Aug. 26. Cate lovers and newcomers alike will gather at the Cate rock garden before walking to the restaurants, sharing a meal and socializing. Ata said he spent much of his time at Cate his freshman year. He met some of his best friends there, and when he became a resident adviser his sophomore year, it remained a focal point for him and his residents. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cate was just the center of

my life two years ago, when I was a sophomore,â&#x20AC;? Ata said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I ate there for breakfast, ate there for lunch, used the spaces to study. Cate honestly felt like that OU experience to me.â&#x20AC;? When the restaurants closed, Ata started tweeting with the hashtag #JusticeForCate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At first, you know, I was clearly joking,â&#x20AC;? Ata said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clearly not something (where) Cate was some person or had some bad event happen to it.â&#x20AC;? But he was not the only one to miss Cate. The hashtag spread. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People went along with it, which I was surprised by,â&#x20AC;? Ata said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cate built a community while it was running, and it built a community when it closed down.â&#x20AC;? Ata missed Cate so much during its year of closure that he wrote a page-long op-ed called â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Case for Cate,â&#x20AC;? but OU announced Cate would reopen before he could release it. The op-ed shared an anecdote from Ataâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cate experience and argued it should reopen. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My feelings about Cate are simple: Beyond the warm-fuzzy nostalgia that the restaurants provide, reopening their doors will critically assist campus cohesion, meal affordability and overcrowding,â&#x20AC;? Ata wrote in the op-ed. The day Cate reopened, Ata ate breakfast, lunch and dinner there. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awesome,â&#x20AC;? Ata said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back. Clearly, you remember things a lot better than they are. But the whole point of Cate is that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s convenient, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that beat-up

Sen. Cory Booker to visit Norman Presidential candidate will stop at Campus Corner BAILEY LEWIS @BaileyLewis75

The College Democrats of Oklahoma scheduled Democratic presidential candidate and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker to visit OU next week, following Beto Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourkeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit to campus Monday, Aug. 19. Tasne em Al-Michael, president of the College Democrats of Oklahoma, said Booker is scheduled to visit next Thursday, Aug. 29. The organization is planning a block party on Campus Corner from 4â&#x20AC;&#x201C;8 p.m. However, Al-Michael said the details are still â&#x20AC;&#x153;up in the air.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hopefully Cory will be either addressing the crowd and getting to know some Normanites from between 5:15 and 6,â&#x20AC;? Al-Michael said. The volume constraint during the Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourke rally was behind the decision to host a block party, so the

whole community can meet Booker, Al-Michael said. Destinee Dickson, the crew recruiter for OUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Black Emergency Resp ons e Team, said BERT met up with Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rourke on Monday because he wanted to meet the students who organized the Rally to Stop Racism in March. D i c k s o n s a i d BE RT sp o ke w i t h O â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Rou rke about concerns of racism at OU and nationally, and the group plans to meet up with Booker when he comes to OU to discuss the same issues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we definitely will hop on and try to be able to explain our concerns as people of color as a student organization,â&#x20AC;? Dickson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll discuss) what we are struggling with here at OU, as well as concerns that pertain to all students on the national lens and scale.â&#x20AC;? Bailey Lewis

bailey.n.lewis-1@ou.edu

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.

COOPER LEE/THE DAILY

OU students and faculty sit down for lunch in the reopened Cate Restaurants Aug. 20.

kind of building. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good place to just be. The environment is always good, the atmosphere is great, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just Cate food. I loved it. I love being back.â&#x20AC;? Adelle Sturgell, psychology and human relations senior, will attend the reunion. Cate was one of Sturgellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite places to study and eat during her freshman and sophomore years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really excited that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back,â&#x20AC;? Sturgell said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it will be a really good addition to campus as a whole. One of the things that struck me about Cross is that it was ... a little bit too nice. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it was that good of a

place to just gather and hang out ... but Cate, I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of those places that â&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a community place.â&#x20AC;? Sturgell remembers Cate for the times she spent with friends there, but also for its relatively cheap prices and convenience due to its proximity to the South Oval. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely a lot of nostalgia there,â&#x20AC;? Sturgell said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to look back at the tables and think of all the different things I used to do here ... I think the food, the quality is the same. Questionable at times, but the value? 100 percent.â&#x20AC;? While being interviewed on a Friday afternoon in

Cate, Sturgell saw two people hug. â&#x20AC;&#x153; Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s p e ople who came in and hugged and reunited,â&#x20AC;? Sturgell said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just saw them over there. To me, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the kind of place that Cate is. And I know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of just nostalgia from the way it used to be, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited to see that and build it up.â&#x20AC;? Ataâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advice for freshmen and sophomores who havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t experienced Cate yet? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to give it a try,â&#x20AC;? Ata said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It might be one of the uglier buildings in the middle of campus, and it might look super old to you, like it was made in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s,

because it was. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem like it could mean a lot to so many people.â&#x20AC;? But it does, Ata said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Go in there, go order something ... Sit down with a bunch of friends in one of the booths and just feel it for yourself,â&#x20AC;? Ata said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is one of the quintessential OU college experience moments. Getting college food in this older college center. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the newest, the next fad or whatever. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just â&#x20AC;&#x201D; OU.â&#x20AC;? Scott Kirker stk@ou.edu

OU professor sues regents Honors College adjunct claims breach of contract

information on the Oklahoma State Courts Network, Honors College adjunct David A. Long is suing the board for civil relief of over $10,000. The JORDAN MILLER case was filed Aug. 23. @jordanrmillerr Ac c o rd i n g t o t h e i n formation, Long is being An OU professor is suing represented by the Eddy the Board of Regents for Law Firm of attorney Rand breach of contract. C. Eddy. Rand also repA c c o r d i n g t o c a s e resents his son Jess Eddy,

Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg August 26, 2019

ACROSS 1 Jon, for Garfield 6 Hoagie seller 10 Helps at checkout 14 Took the wheel 15 Molecule building block 16 Bone near the radius 17 Lessened 18 *Fastidious dresser 20 Mata Hari, for one 21 Long-eared animal 23 Existing from birth 24 A little, in music 26 Composer Franz 28 *Blabbermouth 31 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hometown Proud Supermarketsâ&#x20AC;? chain 34 Lyricist Lorenz 35 Mountains around Zermatt 36 Serversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; handouts 38 Tattoo artist 40 One-time connector 41 ___ & Young 42 Juanitaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s January 43 Fictional Flanders 45 Western alliance 46 ___ and away

8/26

47 *Gullible sort 50 Thanksgiving Day Parade sponsor 51 Former show about a high school choir 52 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Homelandâ&#x20AC;? star Danes 55 ___ polloi 56 Sphere, poetically 59 *Jack-of-alltrades 62 It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t grow on trees 64 Build-it-yourself furniture chain 65 See 27-Down 66 Dazzling effect 67 Church benches 68 Brink 69 Fashion sense DOWN 1 Poems of praise 2 Prepare a gift 3 *Busybody 4 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let Me Blow Ya Mindâ&#x20AC;? rapper 5 Censor confidential information 6 Papas 7 H, to Hera 8 Take a bough? 9 Full of mischief 10 Charred 11 Alan of â&#x20AC;&#x153;M*A*S*Hâ&#x20AC;? 12 Pesky little fly 13 Of sound mind

19 Digestion catalyst 22 Tofu source, to a Brit 25 Furry swimmer 26 Frequent carry-on items 27 With 65-Across, â&#x20AC;&#x153;No worriesâ&#x20AC;? 28 Top dog at the firehouse 29 Barberaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s animation partner 30 Like sweaty palms 31 Titularly, or how the starred answers exist? 32 Verve 33 ___ Martin (luxury car) 37 Muppet with a rubber duckie 39 Prayer beads

44 Toy building block 48 Glacial epoch 49 Covers with goo, like in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ghostbustersâ&#x20AC;? 50 Mythical king with a golden touch 52 Intel product 53 Crater ___ National Park 54 With a fresh start 55 Jekyllâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s alter ego 57 Not virtual 58 Computer memory unit 60 Show agreement 61 Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best friend 63 Tenth mo.

PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER

8/25 7/22

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

It Takes All Kinds by Lee Taylor

who has accused former OU President David Boren and former administrator Tripp Hall of sexual harassment. This case is one of multiple being brought against the university, as three cases were filed in the spring for discrimination, including that of former Dean of the College of International Studies and

current professor Suzette Grillot, whom Rand also represents, according to NonDoc. This story will be updated on The Dailyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website as more information becomes available. Jordan Miller

jordan.r.miller-1@ou.edu

HOROSCOPE By Eugenia Last

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019 ASTROGRAPH by Eugenia Last

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let anyone spread rumors or Make your move. Aim to be trium- tell lies, or you will become part of phant. Set your sights on achieving the problem instead of the solution. Be true to yourself and to your your goals and improving your lifestyle. Embark on new beginnings loved ones. and adventures, and reclaim the PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Aim things in life that bring you joy. Personal success can be yours if you for efficiency. A minimalist approach are tenacious about health, diet and to dealing with others and living your life will result in peace of mind exercise. Romance is encouraged. and more time to enjoy the finer VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Make things. the necessary changes required ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- An to achieve success. You need to embrace whatever it takes to reach open mind will help you see your professional or personal goal. problems. If you look at all sides of a situation, you will come up with a Romance is in the stars. solution that suits everyone. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Use cau- leave anyone out. tion when discussing projects with peers. Someone is likely to misquote TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Take you or use your ideas to get ahead. the initiative and follow your heart. Whether you are making personal Strategic action will be required to changes or starting a new project, avoid interference. believe in your ability and shoot for the stars. Romance is encouraged. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -Positive change will transpire if you make plans with someone who can GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -Someone will lead you astray if you offer you information, direction are gullible. Question anything that or solutions. Romance is featured. sounds suspicious. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to you Think about your emotional and to protect your interests. Focus on spiritual upbringing. good health and saving money. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- A -- Head in a direction that will chance to share something special encourage learning and making is heading your way. If you discuss personal improvements. Listen to your heart, not to what someone is plans with a loved one, you will turn trying to get you to believe. Hold on your dream into a reality. Romance is in the stars. to your cash. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -Consider your plans, go over every detail and make your dreams come true. A change at home will encourage better relationships with loved ones. Romance is on the rise.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Know what you want and make your move. Consistency will be required if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to gain respect and support. If someone procrastinates, step up and take charge.

Aug. 26-Sept. 2, 2019 •

CULTURE

MADI FOSTER/THE DAILY

Students utilize the Grant Fine Arts Library Aug. 22.

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

MADI FOSTER/THE DAILY

A fossil inside the Youngblood Energy Library Aug. 22.

MADI FOSTER/THE DAILY

The blueprint reading room inside the architecture library in Gould Hall Aug. 22.

Cozy campus spots for students OU’s libraries offer different resources, experiences for all MOLLY KRUSE @mollykruse98

Even the freshest freshmen know about the Bizzell Memorial Library — fondly known as “The Bizz.” But OU has three other library branches as well — and although the branches are named after the colleges they’re housed in, they are open for anyone to use. “The misconception I get a lot is that only students from fine arts can use (the fine arts library), and so on,” said Matt Stock, librarian for The Grant Fine Arts Library. But you don’t have to be an architecture student to use the virtual reality in the architecture library, or study music to use the songwriting

software in the fine arts library. “That’s a great thing about the librar y,” said James Bierman, engineering and geology librarian. “Any student can come into our library, and log in — even people from outside of the university can just get a guest login — and use all of our software that we have available on the workstations.” Next time you get tired of “The Bizz,” here are some lesser-known campus libraries to visit:

Grant Fine Arts Library Lit by skylights and buried in the bottom of Catlett Music Center, The Grant Fine Arts Library offers a peaceful spot to study, a collection of art magazines and sheet music, and even composing software. “One of the custodians plays guitar, so he’ll come

in every so often when his shift is over and just find a new book of great hits from the ‘80s he wants to learn,” Stock said. “Or one of the landscape faculty was a jazz pianist, and so he would just come over now and again find some things that were interesting to him.” When it was founded: 1986 Quietness level: 3 out of 5 Resources to check out: Computers with music notation software and musical keyboards, audio editing software, vintage sheet music and a media resource center with audio and video files. Something to notice: Student art displays scattered throughout the stacks. The fine arts library partners with the 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk and some classes from the school of visual arts use the library to experiment in, Stock said.

How to find it: Enter Catlett Hall through the main doors, turn right and go all the way down the ramp.

Rock and mineral displays, like a giant barite rose cluster, fossilized shells and a cross section of petrified wood are scattered throughout the library. Youngblood Energy How to find it: Go to the (Geology) Library second floor of Sarkeys Energy Center and walk all If you need a tectonic map the way down corridor R to of Texas or geologic map of Room 220. Georgia, they can be found in this fossil-filled library Architecture Library hidden in Sarkeys Energy Center. The smallest library Since the engineering li- branch on campus still brary branch is currently houses a few surprises — closed, engineering students from artifacts like antique can also find some resourc- door pulls and stair risers es in the Youngblood library, to a collection of blueprints Bierman said. from famous architects When it was founded: Frank Lloyd Wright and 1989 Bruce Goff. Quietness level: 4 out of 5 One of Wright’s strucResources to check out: tural engineers was also an Rock and mineral samples, OU faculty member in the map collection, and geolo- 1950s, which might explain gy and engineering software the special blueprints. and journals. “We think that’s how we Something to notice: got the Wright blueprints,

(but) no one knows for certain,” Stock said. When it was founded: 2011 Quietness level: 5 out of 5 Resources to check out: Blueprint collection, architecture books, virtual reality programs for interior design and city planning software. Something to notice: If you like books on Welsh castles, royal parks or city planning, this is your library. How to find it: Head towards Gould Hall from the South Oval side and go in the building to the left under the covered porch. Editor’s note: Quietness level was determined by the reporter’s observations and may vary by time of day. Five is the quietest and one is the least quiet. Molly Kruse

molly.kruse@ou.edu

Former principal joins OU ballet faculty Instructor will share passion for craft with students CARLY OREWILER @carly_orewiler

The OU School of Dance has a new addition to its faculty — a former principal dancer, or star dancer — from a nationally renowned ballet school. According to a July 10 press release, Karel Cruz was hired as a ballet instructor before the fall 2019 semester at OU about a year after his 2018 retirement from his career at Pacific Northwest Ballet, one of the top three ballet schools in the nation. Cruz teaches seven different ballet classe s o n c a m p u s, i n c l u d ing Intermediate Ballet

Technique, Pas de Deux and Ballet Company Apprentice. Cruz said he fell in love with ballet when he started dancing at 8 years old. Since then, he has danced leading roles in more than 60 classical and contemporary works by choreographers such as George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Benjamin Millepied, Mark Morris, Justin Peck, Crystal Pite and many more, acc o rd i ng t o t h e re l e a s e. Cruz is from Holguin, Cuba, where he trained at Es cuela Nacional de Arte. Following his training, he danced with Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1996 for tw o years and later joined both Ballet Clasico de Camara and Teatro Teresa Carreno in Venezuela, acc o rd i ng t o t h e re l e a s e. After coming to the U.S. in 2002, Cruz joined the

Pacific Northwest Ballet, where he climbed up the ranks over the course of 17 years. His highest achievement in the company was being promoted to principal dancer, the highest rank for a dancer, from 2009 to 2018, according to the release. “The reason I’m here is because of ballet in general,” Cruz said. “To be here for the students 100 percent, and to help them as much as I can for their futures and careers.” Being an instructor at OU will allow him to share his devotion with other generations and witness students’ successes, he said. “Right now what I enjoy about the students is actually their passion for the career,” Cruz said. “To walk into the studio, and to see that they really want to be here, and they really want to be successful in this career.”

Cruz said one of his main goals is to teach multiculturalism. “I will try to focus on diversity,” Cruz said. “Diversity of artistry in general, behind ... the technique of ballet. Just to become a great artist.” Michael Bearden, School of Dance director, said Cruz will be a valuable addition to the program. “We are pleased to welcome Mr. Cruz to the OU School of Dance,” Bearden said. “His strong training background in Cuba and his experience as a principal dancer at (Pacific Northwest Ballet) will benefit our stud e nt s o n ma ny l e v e l s.” Carly Orewiler

carly.a.orewiler-1@ou.edu

VIA SARAH CERMAK

OU School of Dance welcomes a new ballet instructor Karel Cruz, a former principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Local vape shop plants flag with new brand ‘Vapor Mayfield’ owners rebrand with OU theme

Vapor Mayfield, by its former name Quick Stop Vapor Shop, but ownership plans to change the store’s theme through new brandSYDNEY ing, a store employee said. SCHWICHTENBERG Located on 12th Avenue @sydnerry in Norman, the shop is sandwiched between Norman regulars may Thunderbird Liquors and know a local vape store, an empty parking lot.

The business has been operating as a vape store since 2016, but in the last three months, new owners have changed the face of the company. Store owner Mike Shirey hopes to turn the store into a Sooner oasis, store employee Tripp Hall said. “We’ll be painting the

walls red and putting up new signs soon,” Hall said. “Crimson and cream — all of that will be in here.” In the coming months, the vape shop will rebrand with more than just remodels. “There might be a discount for OU students, but (Shirey) isn’t sure yet,” Hall

said. At the moment, there is no official social media for the OU-themed store. “There will be a website, Facebook, everything — soon,” Hall said. Editor’s note: The Tripp Hall quoted in this story is not the former OU vice

president by the same name who has been referenced in previous stories from The Daily. Sydney Schwichtenberg sydneyschwich@ou.edu

CULTURE

• Aug. 26-Sept. 2, 2019

Nick Hazelrigg Editor-in-Chief Jordan Miller News Managing Editor Julia Weinhoffer Engagement Editor George Stoia Sports Editor Abigail Hall Culture Editor Paxson Haws Enterprise Editor Caitlyn Epes Visual Editor Daniella Peters Copy Chief Carly Orewiler Design Editor

phone:

405-325-3666

email:

dailynews@ou.edu

KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY

Irandy Reyes, then a modern dance performance junior, performs in “The Kingdom” in a dress rehearsal of Contemporary Dance Oklahoma April 5.

New shows headed to OU stages University Theatre plans diverse fall lineup for 2019 ABBY TOW @abby_tow

OU University Theatre will open its 2019-2020 season this September with the opera “ The G olden Cockerel.” Tickets are now available for 8 p.m. shows Sept. 19–21 and a 3 p.m. show

Sept. 22. The performance will be suitable for all ages and presented in an English translation. “The Golden Cockerel” is a political satire by Russian composer Nikolai RimskyKorsakov and based on A l e x a n d e r P u s h k i n ’s poem “ The Fair ytale of the Golden Cockerel.” The opera is about a war-fearing king and his efforts to protect his kingdom with a few fantastical twists along the way, according to a

press release. University Theatre’s season continues into October with Tony Award-winning musical “Cabaret.” Set in pre-World War II Germany, the musical explores the lives of entertainers in a chaotic world. “Cabaret” will be performed in the Elsie C. Brackett Theatre at 8 p.m. Oct. 4, 5, 11 and 12, and at 3 p.m. Oct. 6 and 13. The t w o final p er formances of the semester will include the play “The

Wolves” by Sarah DeLappe and the classic ballet “The Nutcracker ” by P yotr Tchaikovsky, just in time for the holiday season. There will be showings of “The Wolves” at 8 p.m. Oct. 25, 26, 31 and Nov. 1 and 2, and at 3 p.m. Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 in the Weitzenhoffer Theatre. “The Nutcracker” will be performed in the Elsie C. Brackett Theatre at 8 p.m. Nov. 22 and 24 and Dec. 5–7, and at 3 p.m. Nov. 24 and Dec. 7–8.

All advance student tickets are $10. For advance general tickets, drama/ dance tickets are $25, opera tickets are $20 and musical tickets are $30. Ticket purchases can be made at a discounted price if done in advance, by phone at 405325-4101 or in person at the Fine Arts Box Office in Catlett Music Center. Abby Tow

abby.tow1@ou.edu

Historic local Indian eatery closes Norman’s Misal of India Bistro shuts doors after decades MOLLY KRUSE @mollykruse98

The first Indian restaurant in Oklahoma closed its doors Aug. 9 after 40 years of operation. Nasir Ghouri, the owner of Misal of India Bistro, said the closure of the restaurant was due to declining community

support and his personal burnout after running the business for so long. “I’ve been doing everything — I’ve been waiting tables, I’ve been cooking, just whatever needs to be done,” Ghouri said. “The job has been all-consuming. I haven’t had a vacation in seven years.” Ghouri started Misal of India Bistro with his cousin Neelam Misal in 1979 on Campus Corner. There were no Indian restaurants in Oklahoma at the time, and people came from Tulsa,

Oklahoma City and even Dallas to eat at the restaurant, Ghouri said. The restaurant moved to Parkway Plaza Shopping Center in 2000. But because of Lindsey Street and Interstate 35 construction, customers in the shopping center started to dwindle, he said. “People, they prefer chains and they prefer other kinds of food, not this kind of food that is freshly prepared and made with attention and love,” Ghouri said. “A lot of people just don’t get it.”

But for Misal’s loyal customers, losing the restaurant is “devastating,” he said. Misal’s was the first Indian cuisine that Carolyn Mahin, a Bartlesville native who has been visiting the restaurant since the 1980s, had ever tried. She said she was an “ardent fan,” and Ghouri always recognized her when she came in. “(Misal’s) is how I judge all other Indian foods,” Mahin said. “That was my first experience, and I loved it.” Ghouri served four to five

generations of customers, who have been leaving flowers and cards by the front door and posting about the restaurant on Facebook, he said. “That was the best part,” Ghouri said. “I had the coolest customers.” For now, Ghouri said he intends to spend time reflecting and finding himself. Molly Kruse

ROSS JOHNSON @roslam5

While Oklahoman filmmakers eagerly await Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flow er Moon” to begin pre-production in November,

another film is being made locally — and on OU’s campus. OU’s official Twitter announced on Aug. 17 that it needed extras to show up at the Reynolds Performing Arts Center for a feature film. Actors aged 18 to 25 were called to be extras Friday, Aug. 23 for a new movie being filmed on campus. Extras who worked a full day were paid $75 and $50 for a half day,

according to an email from Freihofer Casting. “Full Out 2” is the second film in a series focused on women’s college gymnastics teams. The first installment of the series was a biography of UCLA Bruins athlete Ariana Berlin. However, the sequel will focus on OU gymnasts Brenna Dowell, Chayse Capps and AJ Jackson. T h e s t o r y c e nt e r s o n

Dowell’s decision to quit the team in order to pursue her Olympic dreams, and the struggles her teammates must overcome in order to win a second national championship in 2016, according to a casting call. “We are delighted at this opportunity to showcase our incredible women’s gymnastics program and this beautiful university. Exposure of this kind is rare, but everything about OU, from the team to the campus, lends itself well to a movie production,” said Kenny Mossman, senior associate athletics director, to the Oklahoma Film and Music office. “It has been gratifying to hear the production company raving about its experience in Oklahoma and about the prospects of making movies here,” Mossman said. “The gymnastics program that head coach KJ Kindler has built gave us the profile to earn this kind of project, and we are thrilled about the impact that it can make for OU across the country and worldwide.” It is slated to air next year on Netflix and is produced and directed by Jeff Deverett, the

Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 250 words, typed and signed by the author(s). Letters will be edited for accuracy, space and style. Students must list their major and classiﬁcation. To submit letters, email dailyeditor@ou.edu. Our View is the voice of the Editorial Board, which consists of eight student editors. The board meets at 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday in Copeland Hall, Room 168. Board meetings are open to the public. Guest columns are accepted and printed at the editor’s discretion. Columnists’ and cartoonists’ opinions are their own and not necessarily the views or opinions of The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board. To advertise in The Oklahoma Daily, contact the advertising manager by calling 405-325-8964 or emailing dailyads@ ou.edu. One free copy of The Daily is available to members of the OU community. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents by contacting The Daily business ofﬁce at 405325-2522.

molly.kruse@ou.edu

Gymnastics film set on OU campus ‘Full Out 2’ will focus on stories of three Sooners

160 Copeland Hall, 860 The Oklahoma Vleet Oval Daily isVan a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication.

same creator who brought the original “Full Out” (2015) to the screen. The film is co-produced by Barbara Hopkins, according to the casting call. “We decided to choose (OU) because they had just won another championship,” Hopkins said to The Norman Transcript. “What better way to reward such an outstanding university and an outstanding program, than to make our next gymnastics movie about their program and some of their gymnasts?” Alix Sternberg is the screenwriter, and casting was directed by Norman’s own Chris Freihofer, according to the casting call. “‘Full Out 2’ will be even better than the original ‘Full Out,’” Deverett said to PR Newswire in July. “For authenticity, we will be shooting most of the movie on campus at the University of Oklahoma, which is incredible, and we will have amazing gymnastics and dance scenes along with a great story.” Ross Johnson

rossamjohnson@gmail.com

Corrections: The Daily is committed to accuracy in its publications. If you ﬁnd an error in a story, email dailynews@ ou.edu or visit oudaily. com/corrections to com/site/corrections submit correction .html toasubmit a form. correction form.

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VOL.104, NO. 31

Aug. 26-Sept. 2, 2019 •

SPORTS

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

Riley, Houston have history OU coach once interviewed for top job with Cougars GEORGE STOIA @georgestoia

L i n c o l n R i l e y sat b e fore a combination of eight University of Houston administrators and boosters at an undisclosed location in Dallas. He was one of eight candidates interviewing to become the Cougars’ next head football coach. “Lincoln’s name kept coming up,” then-Houston athletic director Hunter Yurachek said of the meeting the morning of Dec. 5, 2016. “When Tom (Herman) left for Texas, Lincoln’s agent was one of the first people I called.” Riley, 33 at the time, was one of the most sought-after coaches in college football that December. In his two years at Oklahoma as offensive coordinator, he had turned the Sooners from an identity-less offense into a juggernaut. A Texas native, Riley was seemingly a perfect fit at Houston — a program known for jumpstarting future head coaches’ careers like Kevin Sumlin, now at Arizona, and Herman, now at Texas. In the days follow ing Riley’s interview, reports circulated saying he “knocked it out of the park” and that their sources “would be surprised if they don’t hire him.” It seemed Riley’s days in Norman might be numbered. Instead, Riley chose to stay at Oklahoma where, six months later, he would be named head coach after Bob Stoops’ shocking retirement in June. As a result, on Dec. 9, Houston went with Major Applewhite who went 15-11 in two years, ending in his firing and leaving Dana Holgorsen to take over the program in 2019. Three years later, as Riley and Oklahoma prepare to

face Houston on Sunday night on national television to kick off another season with national title aspirations, this is the story behind Riley’s decision to stay with the Sooners — from a flu-ridden interview to a late-night meeting with OU athletic director Joe Castiglione that kept one of the hottest commodities in college football in Norman. “We always anticipated he would be very successful,” Castiglione said this week, reflecting on a hire that has kept Oklahoma nationally prominent. “We weren’t necessarily going to let him walk right out the door.” Riley was sick that Monday morning. He had the flu, according to Yurachek. This didn’t faze him. In fact, it made his performance in the interview that much more profound. He was the second interviewee of the day. He was asked approximately 65 questions, Yurachek said. And he had no notes — a rarity in coaching interviews today. Yurachek and the other seven administrators and boosters asked Riley everything from how to manage a budget, to compliance, to the type of players he recruits, to the style of offense he wanted to run. When Riley left the room, Yurachek knew he was who he wanted. “He quickly ascended to someone we knew we wanted to talk to again,” said Yurachek, now the athletic director at Arkansas. “He blew us away as a committee. He was so unbelievably polished and well-spoken about every aspect of being a head coach. He was wise beyond his years.” But little did he know that Riley was not even considering the position anymore. That Monday night, Yurachek called Riley to find out where he stood. He told him how impressed he was with his interview and that Houston was hoping to do

another one soon. But he also wanted to gauge Riley’s interest b efore moving forward. “I had a sinking feeling, doing enough of these interviews, that he wasn’t all in,” Yurachek said. “And that makes the interview even more impressive.” According to Yurachek, Riley said he was no longer interested in the position and mentioned that Castiglione had visited his house the night before. Riley admitted he had done the interview as a courtesy, saying he planned to stay at Oklahoma. Riley himself has not talked publicly about the circumstances behind the entire event. Yu ra c h e k w a s d i s a p pointed, but said he understood Riley’s reasoning. And when Riley was named Oklahoma’s head coach six months later on June 7, 2017, all the pieces of the puzzle started to come together. “It all started to make sense,” Yurachek said. “I don’t know if that was always the plan. Maybe they had an inkling of some kind. Now that’s all speculative on my part, but it all made sense.” Two days before Riley interviewed for the job, on Saturday, Dec. 3, Oklahoma beat Oklahoma State, 38-20, to claim its 10th Big 12 title. Castiglione said he spoke with Riley multiple times that weekend, which is when he was informed Houston had expressed interest in the Sooners’ offensive playcaller. But Castiglione doesn’t recall exactly which night he visited Riley’s Norman home alone. However, Castiglione does recall being in New York with Stoops during Riley’s Monday interview. He and Stoops were in town for the annual National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, an event Castiglione attends nearly every year as a member of the board of directors. Both Castiglione and Stoops spent time on the phone

OU coach Lincoln Riley speaks at Big 12 Media Days July 15.

talking to Riley. “We were in close contact throughout the entire process,” Castiglione said. “All three of us were talking ... and Bob was especially helpful in talking about his past experiences.” Stoops himself had been through similar situations in the late ‘90s. A rising defensive coordinator under Steve Spurrier at Florida, Stoops had job offers from all over the country before accepting the one at OU. According to Castiglione, Stoops told Riley to be patient and to make the right choice for him and his family. That’s not to say Houston was the wrong choice, Stoops just didn’t want him to rush into any decision. Castiglione echoed that same sentiment. When he went to Riley’s house to discuss his future at Oklahoma, he made sure it was a casual conversation, not trying to force Riley into anything he didn’t want to do. “It wasn’t like he got in the car and I blocked the driveway or anything,” Castiglione said with a laugh. “If the actual elements were different, I guess you could say, don’t put that past me. I might have done it. But it wasn’t that kind of thing. It was very normal.” The meeting clearly went well. Castiglione said it was not too long after that — sometime before the 2017 Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2 — Riley informed him of his decision

to stay at Oklahoma. This was confirmed May 11, 2017, when he signed a three-year contract worth $1.3 million per year. Twenty-six days later, he was named the head coach. In his new book, “No Excuses : The Making of a He a d C o a c h,” St o o p s writes that he told his wife, Carol, and their three kids the night before the 2016 Bedlam game — three days before Riley’s interview with Houston — that he planned to retire following the season. He later mentions in the book that, after the Sugar Bowl, he was back on the fence about retiring. Around that time, Castiglione and then-OU P re s i d e nt Dav i d B o re n asked Stoops to look at naming Riley the head-coachin-waiting before the 2017 season. Stoops wrote, “I’m either the boss or not ... You can’t sort of be the head coach.” “I don’t know if Bob and I said this to each other, but sometimes we could just look at each other and know what each other’s thinking,” Castiglione said. “And when we did put the offer together going forward, I think we both looked at each other as if to say, ‘Well, we’ll be at this place again in the near future. At some point, he’s going to take a head coaching job.’ “We knew he would be successful. And at whatever point coach Stoops decided

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to retire, we knew he’d be the one we want to hire to replace coach Stoops.” Houston isn’t the only program that made a serious run at hiring Riley that December and the next spring, Castiglione recalls. Programs across the country were calling — some NFL teams, too. But Castiglione said, “Once he made a decision to stay at Oklahoma (in December), I don’t think he seriously entertained anything else.” Castiglione also knows it won’t be the last time he may have to make a latenight visit to Riley’s house, as more NFL teams express interest in the guru from Muleshoe. But he isn’t worried. He knows that no matter what — whether Riley stays for the long haul or decides to eventually make the leap to the league — these types of things typically work out in his and Oklahoma’s favor. “I really, really just believe that things work out the way they’re supposed to,” Castiglione said. “And, in the end, you always focus on doing what’s right and doing what’s best. And then the chances of things working out for the best are greater. And I’d say things have worked out... “Well, I’ll just leave it at that.” George Stoia

georgestoia@ou.edu

Grinch prepares to Jalen Hurts will bring steal show with defense ‘coffee bean’ mentality New defensive coordinator gets ready for first game

Quarterback aims to show his improvement

CALEB MCCOURRY

GEORGE STOIA

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s first game with the program will be against a team with an elite quarterback and a new head coach. Head coach Dana Holgorsen is entering his first season at the helm of Houston after spending eight seasons at West Virginia and is bringing senior quarterback D’Eriq King, who threw for 2,982 passing yards and 36 touchdowns in 2018, to Norman in less than two weeks. With a new leader and returning talent among the Cougars, Grinch says he can’t go in thinking he knows the outcome for his first game. “What you don’t want to imply is that you know exactly what you’re going to see here in a couple of Sundays. I think that you go down a bad path when you do that,” Grinch said after practice Tuesday, Aug. 20. “Certainly you gotta lean on the video that you can find to suggest what you’re going to see. ... Not to say that we’re playing West Virginia next Sunday.” Added to the challenge of studying Houston is junior cornerback Tre Norwood’s season-ending lower body injury, a subject Grinch touched on at Tuesday’s

Jalen Hurts is a coffee bean. He’s not a carrot or an egg — no, he’s a coffee bean. He’s also Oklahoma’s new starting quarterback as of Monday, bringing not only unquestionable skill to the position but also some wisdom. “You gotta try and be the coffee bean,” Hurts said Wednesday. “You got the carrot, the egg — you put the egg in boiling water it hardens up... The carrot softens up. The coffee bean spreads, gets stronger — it impacts the people around you. Try and be that coffee bean.” Hurts spoke to the media for the first time since coach Lincoln Riley named him the Sooners 2019 starter Monday. Arriving in Norman in January after transferring from Alabama, he beat out redshirt freshman Tanner Mordecai and true freshman Spencer Rattler for the job. During his time with the Crimson Tide, Hurts was 26-2 as a starter and totaled for 7,602 yards and 71 total touchdowns. He’s made an immediate impact not only on the field, but also in the locker room as a leader. Wednesday,

@CalebMac21

@georgestoia

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OU defensive coordinator Alex Grinch smiles during practice Aug. 12.

practice. With Norwood’s absence, the cornerback unit has to compete for the vacant spot. It’s been a little over a week since the injury, and Grinch says the situation has “caught a couple guys off guard.” Grinch mentioned sophomore Brendan RadleyHiles, junior Tre Brown, redshirt junior Jordan Parker, redshirt freshman Miguel Edwards, freshman Jaden Davis and senior Parnell

Motley, who Grinch said has “come a long, long way” in camp. “I think at its best, it has been (his defense’s most competitive group), and at its worst, it’s been similar to the other spots,” Grinch said. “Probably the most improved group on the defense.” Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mcourry-1@ou.edu

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Senior quarterback Jalen Hurts speaks with reporters for the first time as starting quarterback Aug. 21.

Hurts showed how — through his experience and wisdom. “You gotta understand that everybody can’t lead a tribe,” Hurts said. “It takes a special person to do that and I think people lead because their peers let them lead. They’ve accepted me and that’s a huge honor, and I want to be the best quarterback and the best leader I can be for this team.” “Hopefully we can make it a special year.” Hurts no doubt has a lot to prove, after being benched for Tua Tagovailoa in the 2018 national title game and playing the backup role last season. Despite some doubting his ability as a quarterback, he says he can’t wait to show just how much he’s improved. “The reality is that I’m not the same quarterback I was as a freshman at Alabama, a sophomore at Alabama, a junior at Alabama,” Hurts said. “Now that I’m here at Oklahoma, we’re ready to attack.”

Riley said Tuesday Hurts’ past played zero factor in his decision to pick him as the starter. He saw Hurts improve as a player in his short time at Oklahoma, which is why he’ll be the starter come Sept. 1 against Houston. “It had nothing to do with experience,” Riley said. “(I) just based it purely on performance. I’m not going to sit here and break it down. He was just a little bit ahead.” Following Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray will be no easy task, Hurts knows that. But he’s also not worried about that. He’s focused on today and this season. He wants to be Oklahoma’s “coffee bean.” “I’m happy to be that for this team and we’re just ready to attack the season,” Hurts said. “It’s been a ride. I’ve said it before in the past, this whole story is far from over with.” George Stoia

georgestoia@ou.edu

SPORTS

• Aug. 26-Sept. 2, 2019

Jalen Hurts named starting QB Lincoln Riley says decision between players was close GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia

Lincoln Riley has his guy. The third-year head coach named Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts the Sooners’ starting quarterback for the 2019 season Monday and said Tuesday that it was a tight battle until the end. “I just thought (Hurts) was slightly better ... and it was slightly,” Riley said. “Probably the closest (quarterback battle) since my time at Oklahoma ... Honestly, all three had days that they were the best quarterback.” Hurts beat out redshirt freshman Tanner Mordecai, who Riley said will be the backup, as well as true freshman Spencer Rattler.

Riley was pleased overall with all three’s performance during fall camp and expects the quarterback room to remain competitive throughout the season. “It was a good battle without a doubt,” Riley said. “Tanner Mordecai did a phenomenal job, made a lot of big plays during camp. Spencer Rattler showed early control and playmaking ability that’s pretty rare for someone his age. So you certainly get pretty excited about those two and the bright futures they both have for this 2019 team and beyond. “But Jalen was just a little bit better.” Hurts will have big s h o e s t o f i l l , f o l l ow i ng Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, who won the last two Heisman Trophies. But the former Crimson Tide quarterback has experience competing in national

championships as well as winning one — something no other player at Oklahoma currently has. H o w e v e r, R i l e y s a i d that didn’t factor into his decision. “It had nothing to do with experience. I told myself before it started that wasn’t going to matter,” Riley said. “(I) just based it purely on performance. I’m not going to sit here and break it down. He was just a little bit ahead.” Hurts was 26-2 as a starter during his time at Alabama, totaling 7,602 yards and 71 touchdowns. After being benched during halftime of the 2018 national title game, he eventually lost the starting job the following season to Tua Tagovailoa. Now, at Oklahoma, he’s become an immediaate leader. “He’s been to the top of the mountain,” junior linebacker Kenneth Murray

said. “We haven’t won a national championship since 2000, we’re trying to get there. Whatever he says, how we need to do things — those are things we need to listen to and try to take away some of that to be better at.” Hurts will make his debut Sunday, Sept. 1, against Houston at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. While most expected this to be the case when Hurts transferred to Oklahoma, Riley was quick to point out that he’d be confident in whoever the starter was. “You’ve got to be ready,” Riley said. “I know we have three guys in there that no doubt can go play — and play extremely well — right now.” George Stoia

georgestoia@ou.edu

KATHRYN STACY/THE DAILY

OU coach Lincoln Riley speaks at Big 12 Media Days July 15.

Jordan Parker returns after battling injuries Redshirt junior makes comeback as OU cornerback VIC REYNOLDS @vicareynolds

For some athletes, tearing an ACL is among the hardest injuries to recover from. But not for Jordan Parker. After a 2016 freshman season where he started the final eight games at cornerback and tallied three pass breakups and 36 total tackles, Parker was supposed to be a key player in the 2017 Sooner secondary. During the team’s season opener against UTEP, he suffered an ACL tear while blocking for a punt return. The injury sidelined him for the rest of the season, but Parker had fought more serious battles with his body before. In the summer of 2016, Parker was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which caused him

to have an abnormal heartbeat. But after two surgeries, Parker was cleared to play prior to the season. The experience gave Parker a different perspective on what recovering from a knee injury would be like. “At the end of the day, I think back then (before the knee injury) was just the beginning of something, so I don’t feel like I fell behind at that time,” Parker said. “That wasn’t one of my lower moments, because once you go through two heart surgeries you really don’t look at some things being a serious injury.” After missing his whole sophomore season and starting only one game during his junior season, the past two years have been tumultuous for Parker. “You can’t ever let it weigh you down,” Parker said. “That’s when things start to go wrong, and you start to find yourself in different places mentally and physically. That was the main thing with everyone in my

corner, to just stay on a positive note.” With new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, the Sooners have implemented many changes to the defensive side of the ball. Grinch’s scheme primarily focuses on playing with speed and forcing turnovers. After being moved to safety for the 2018 season, Grinch has slotted Parker back at corner for 2019. With starter Tre Norwood suffering a torn ACL of his own, Parker may have more of an opportunity to return to his 2016 form. “I feel 100 times better than I ever have,” Parker said. “With everything I’ve been through, it took a lot. Mentally, I’ve grown in a lot of ways, and, obviously, I had a lot of time off, so I’ve physically grown.” Vic Reynolds

victor.reynolds@ou.edu

Brooks makes first appearance of season Player addresses media after Title IX investigation ends

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CALEB MCCOURRY @CalebMac21

For the first time since the conclusion of his Title IX investigation, redshirt sophomore running back Kennedy Brooks appeared in front of the media Wednesday evening, although not a lot of the situation was addressed. “Before we start, I just want to say, what happened in the summer, I went through a process,” Brooks said before any questions were asked. “Everybody knows the outcome and I have nothing to add onto it.” Brooks missed part of summer workouts due to the investigation, but rejoined the team July 10, after the university’s Title IX office cleared him of any violation. Mallory Jech, an OU student, went public on Twitter on Aug. 2, alleging Brooks committed “mental and physical abuse” before and after the two were dating. Now, 20 days later, Brooks was put in front of a large group of reporters who were struggling to get any

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Then-redshirt sophomore cornerback Jordan Parker runs onto the field before the game against Kansas State Oct. 27, 2018.

CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY

Redshirt sophomore running back Kennedy Brooks speaks to reporters Aug. 21.

information on the subject. Brooks was asked if he was behind after missing some summer workouts. “No sir,” Brooks said. “I’m perfectly fine. I’m 100 percent.” Brooks was then asked if he wondered during the summer if he was going to return to the program. Brooks referred back to his opening statement. “I’m sorry. I know you

gotta ask that question,” Brooks said, “but like I said, I’ve got nothing to add onto it.” Brooks spoke for just under seven minutes, and no more questions about the summer were asked. Caleb McCourry

caleb.a.mcourry-1@ ou.edu